Alpha's Omega
by The Rose Society
Summary: They were made to be each other's soulmate. They were destined to love each other. And they were destined to destroy each other.
1. Prologue

*Disclaimer: We don't own any of the BSSM characters that will be appearing in this fic. We do, however, own the original plot line and the two doctor characters. Please don't steal or else we'll be forced to resort to violence. ::vampiric eyes begin to glow:: Please don't make us do that ^^: -KC and RS  
  
Alpha's Omega Prologue By: Kayla Chavi and The Rose Society Rating: R Email: kaylachavi@hotmail.com EtrlSlrMn@aol.com http://www.envy.nu/kaylachavi/index.htm http://www.geocities.com/the_rose_society/  
  
It was becoming aware of itself, floating in that void of consciousness.  
  
He? He. He knew he was male. It was just something he knew, he couldn't explain how, but he knew. The lights overhead were bright and filled with several different colors. He...he was laying on a table of some sorts. It was cold and somewhat hard against his skin.  
  
He was naked.  
  
Where had he learned that? How did he know he was naked? And, more importantly, how did he know what being naked meant?  
  
"He is becoming more aware now." His gaze was pulled to a person standing over him. The person was different than him. They were not hes. They had these mounds of flesh that protruded from their upper torso and longer hair.  
  
She.  
  
His mind supplied the word and he wondered where it had come from.  
  
There were two shes. One was standing close to him. She had pale skin and startling green eyes. They seemed to glow and he couldn't tell if they were supposed to be like that or not. Her hair was long and a dark auburn color and it fell around her in waves. She seemed incredibly delicate. However her facial features were expressionless. The only way he knew she was alive were her eyes. They were just too amazing for her to be dead.  
  
"Perhaps we should begin the testing?" The other she spoke and he looked at her. She was almost a complete contrast to the other she. Her hair was straight and black, almost blacker then the darkness outside of the lights. On the top of her head were perched a set of odd looking metal and plastic.  
  
Glasses.  
  
Again, the word just entered his mind like he knew it. It perplexed him a little, but he continued to look. She was a little taller than the other woman and her expression was just as controlled. Her eyes were different as well. The violet was just as unnatural as the green of the other she, yet more so. The shes were different yet the same.  
  
Beautiful.  
  
Both were beautiful, but yet....yet he felt like he shouldn't be thinking that. Like it was wrong or not appropriate. These women weren't here to be beautiful. They were here for something else.  
  
The one with violet eyes bent, so that she and he were face to face. "Do you know your name?"  
  
He searched his consciousness, searching for an answer. The question triggered a word. "Endymion," he replied.  
  
The violet eyed she's mouth changed shape, its corners turning up for a brief moment. Smile. She smiled, for a brief amount of time.  
  
The other she approached him. His attention was drawn to the feel of cold hands on his skin. The green eyed woman was gently pressing a cold metal object into his flesh. He winced. No pain, just different. The muscle that she touched, spasmed. She looked up into his eyes and he saw her smile slightly as well. She looked haunted, and he didn't even know how he knew.  
  
"Good reflexes," her words came out in a quiet murmur that was meant for the other woman's ears. Somehow he heard it. She looked at his face and knew he had. "Good hearing as well."  
  
"Excellent." The violet eyed she pointed to herself. "My name is Doctor Rose Nakazaki. That other woman there is Doctor Kalkia Skye. Are you comprehending what I am saying?"  
  
He nodded. He was hearing these words for the first time in his existence (how did he know that?), and yet he understood them perfectly.  
  
There was a sudden stab of pain in his side. It caused him to wince and jerk. "Oops." The she called Kalkia picked up the instrument that had fallen on his stomach. Her skin turned a faint pink and she turned away.  
  
"It seems as if the mental programming was successful." Dr. Nakazaki looked at her counterpart, her features betraying no emotion. "We should contact Dr. Zoicite." Her voice, though firm, hid a faint note of fatalism.  
  
"I haven't checked everything," Dr. Skye turned back to the table. "He'll want to know if he functions correctly."  
  
Functions? What did she mean by that? Endymion understood her words, but their meanings had been lost to him.  
  
Dr. Nakazaki shot Dr. Skye a glare. "He's not a damn machine, Kalkia. He's a human being, just like you, me or Zoicite, although sometimes I wonder about that bastard." Endymion could hear her heart rate speed up, a physical manifestation of her anger.  
  
"Rose, hold your tongue." Dr. Skye looked upset but she placed her hand firmly on the center of his abdomen, continuing the tests. Her voice betrayed none of her emotions. She was more controlled then Dr. Nakazaki. "I prefer to see the sun and not be stuck in a hell hole. Zoi might hear you and we both know what he's capable of. He'll have us reassigned to that base in Antarctica." Her words were quick, almost too fast for him to understand, but her tone was more important. IT had changed. It was filled with dread and fear, something alien with the she's personality.  
  
Whoever this Dr. Zoicite was, the name meant something not so pleasant to the two shes-- no, the two women.  
  
Dr. Nakazaki sighed, defeated. "Yeah, I know." She placed a warm hand on Endymion's cheek, gazing into his eyes, and for a moment, her facade of control broke. Endymion could see that underneath her clinical image was a woman who was trapped, a tortured soul. But he couldn't explain how he knew. He just did. Then the woman schooled her features once again to its expressionless state and turned to her friend. "Zoicite told us to report to him as soon as Project Alpha was conscious. He can get his pasty ass down here himself if he wants to know if Endymion functions correctly. I'll go get one of the underlings to report to him while you finish your half of the assessment. I'll run him through the mental tests afterwards." She turned on her heel to leave. Pausing, the doctor said breezily, "And DON'T do anything to him that I wouldn't do," gave Endymion a wink and exited the room.  
  
Dr. Skye looked after her and shook her head. She murmured something to herself and then sighed. "She makes me sound like a slut," she muttered. "It's not my fault that she caught Jon and I in the break room. Hell, I don't think I'll ever live that one down."  
  
Endymion blinked when he felt an odd tug. It had come from below his waist but before he could register what the feeling meant, there was a new sensation. The doctor had taped an electrode onto his chest and was now hooking the wire to a machine.  
  
"There, that wasn't so bad." Dr. Skye looked up at the monitors. "Project Alpha, physically perfect in every way. I just hope they don't end up killing this one."  
  
Then she left as well.  
  
Author Notes:  
  
KC: *mutters* How did I get dragged into this? *blinks* What do you mean with my eyes open and running towards it. Even I'm not that crazy! *coughs* Please, don't all agree at once.... Enjoy! RS: Heehee, welcome to our very new and exciting sci-fi thriller =) I hope you'll enjoy this new co-fic, a first between KC and I. 


	2. Chapter One

*Disclaimer: Hehe...no matter what Kayla tries to tell you, she does NOT own Evil Endy, nor any of the other SM characters in the story. But do believe her when she threatens to roast your cajones if you copy the plot ^^;;;  
  
Alpha's Omega Chapter One By: Kayla Chavi and The Rose Society Rating: R Email: kaylachavi@hotmail.com EtrlSlrMn@aol.com http://www.envy.nu/kaylachavi/index.htm http://www.geocities.com/the_rose_society/  
  
*April 1, 2999, The Era of New Order* *Somewhere in Alpha One Enclave, once known as Tokyo, Japan*  
  
She looked like Sleeping Beauty. Her skin was a pale white and her hair a golden shimmery wave upon the pillows. If she were to open her eyes, they would be that perfect blue that every story book princess has. Well, those in the Western culture, as it was once called in the time before the New Order. The man who watched her, smiled and turned away from the picturesque scene.  
  
He ran a hand through his white hair and his red-violet eyes were drawn to the pictures that lined the mantle of the fireplace. There was one that contained a picture of a beautiful young woman who was sitting in the arms of a much younger version himself. She was smiling and cheerful. The couple looked almost happy.  
  
The other pictures contained several children, all around the same age, all just bright and cheerful. He closed his eyes and clenched his jaw. It was too painful. Perhaps he should--  
  
"Why do you cry?"  
  
He turned to find the blonde girl sitting cross-legged on the bed. The simple blue sheets were tucked under her chin as if she feared the chill of the room. Her blonde hair was slightly tousled and her blue eyes curious. She didn't look much older then twenty-four. Still so very young.  
  
"Did you sleep well, Serenity?" He avoided her question with another question.  
  
She frowned and looked at him intently, "My dreams, they.... they were very odd. But...but why are you crying, Demando?"  
  
He sighed quietly and looked away. "No reason, Serenity."  
  
"There is a reason!" she insisted. "There is always a reason for tears. Are you hurt, Demando?"  
  
He shook his head, "Not in the way you understand, my child."  
  
"Then tell me why so I might understand. I need to know," she implored. Serenity stood and tossed away the blankets. She took several steps towards him but stopped, her simple flannel pajamas swaying as if in an invisible breeze. "Please," she whispered, "I need to understand."  
  
Demando looked at her and again ran a hand through his hair. "Meredith was my wife," he said after a moment. "Seven years ago she was killed to stop me from completing a very special project. My three children were also killed."  
  
Serenity raised her hand to Demando's brow, but paused just before she made contact. Looking at the older man's expression, she let the silent question hang in her eyes. Nodding, Demando closed his eyes and let Serenity place her hand on the side of his head.  
  
She saw flashes of Demando's life, his first encounter with his future wife at the Genetic Matching Center, their assignment as a mating couple, their blossoming regard for each other, the birth of their three children. And then, she re-lived the end of it all.  
  
It was a beautiful night as Demando walked home. The dark ominous clouds usually present every day had actually thinned out enough to make out a glimmer of moonlight. Demando had just met with his fellow resistance fighters, discussing Project Omega. As he neared his house, he thought how his family would soon live in a world free of the Alpha Group, free of the violence, the misery, the drudgery of every day life.  
  
They would soon experience the paradise of freedom.  
  
Suddenly, the slapping of his shoe lace caught his attention, just as he was approaching the door. He bent down to tie his shoe, his figure hidden in shadow. A large explosion was the next thing that Demando remembered. He was flying, in the air, his body flung outwards as bits and pieces of what was once his house, his family, billowed into the peaceful night sky. The intense heat scorched his face and body as the sheer concussion of sound rendered his ears deaf for days after the event.  
  
But he could still hear their screams. He didn't need to have his hearing to know that they were screaming, pleading for him to save them, his children and his wife.   
  
His eyes, as well as his mind, continued to function perfectly. The site of his house was now a flaming site of wreckage, the orange flames lighting up the dark night sky.   
  
He watched all through the night as his fellow resistance members came to drag him from his place. But he did not move. He couldn't move. Everything, his house, his family, his dreams... everything just went up in a cloud of smoke and fire. He lay there, dazed, as Omega cell's leader concocted a plan to make the Alpha authorities believe he was dead, along with his family. The remains of a fellow resistance member, who was killed by the Alpha Enforcers that day, was placed in the burning debris, so that the Alpha people would find evidence of five bodies and presume Demando dead.  
  
For that indeed was the goal of Alpha. Their spies had been suspicious of Demando and his unexplainable disappearances. They suspected him of being a part of the resistance movement and the higher-ups decided to make an example of him. The message was very clear: See what happens when an individual tries to defy Alpha? We blow up you and your whole damn family.  
  
Slowly, Serenity withdrew her hand from Demando's head. The entire exchange had only taken mere seconds, but it had felt like forever. He had let her into his mind a lot farther than he had before. Of all in the Omega cell that she had met, Demando was the most withdrawn of them all. She understood what a great feat of trust this was to Demando, trust in her. With a sad smile, Serenity cupped Demando's face.  
  
"Thank you, my mentor," she said softly and gently brushed her lips against his forehead.  
  
There was a loud and annoying beep that interrupted the quiet of the room. Serenity turned towards the sound and looked at the door with a somewhat perplexed expression. Demando smiled at her innocent confusion.  
  
"Enter."  
  
The door opened and two people walked in. One was tall and had short blonde hair. A scar was right underneath one pale blue eye, and it ran from just beside the bridge of the nose to the ear in a straight horizontal line. Her eyes scanned the room, her body taut in readiness.  
  
The other was a woman with long black hair. She had pulled it back into a high ponytail that ended with a complicated braid. Her eyes were a stunning dark violet and her face carried no flaws. Serenity hadn't seen a lot of women yet, but she knew that this woman was considered beautiful by nearly everyone's standards.  
  
It was the other person standing there that confused her. She couldn't tell if they were a man or a woman. The dress shirt was too loose to reveal any shape of breasts, but the facial features were too delicate to belong to man.  
  
Her curiosity was beginning to mount and Demando wasn't telling her anything except that he obviously knew both of the visitors, for he offered them a smile in greeting.  
  
The woman with long black hair broke the silence. "Ami told us that the project was ready, Demando."  
  
Nodding, Demando motioned for Serenity to join him at his side. Smiling like a proud father, Demando introduced the three to each other. "Rei, Haruka, this is Project Omega, otherwise known as Serenity. Serenity, this is Rei and the blonde is Haruka. They'll be your personal bodyguards from now on."  
  
Both Rei and Haruka gave Serenity a curt nod. Wrinkling her brow, Serenity appraised the newcomers. "Mentor, why must I have bodyguards? These two don't see like they are armed; even if I needed protection, they don't seem like they can do much." She looked at them critically. Both were slender, with toned bodies, but it did not seem as if they possessed great strength or speed, qualities of a good bodyguard. A protector would require both skills.  
  
Rei seemed as if she were going to protest, but it was Haruka's reaction that got Serenity's attention. Haruka merely gave her a cold look and then promptly whipped out a wicked looking sword out of a hidden sheath along her spine. She had moved so quickly, that Serenity didn't realize what had occurred until she felt the cold press of metal against the skin of her throat.   
  
An instant later, Rei followed her partner's lead, after regaining control. Rei too took out her weapon, the crossbow complete with titanium poison tipped arrows, from its strap on her back. It was small for a crossbow, but it still looked just as deadly. She had easily hidden it behind her and Serenity had been none the wiser.  
  
Serenity met the two, now armed, women's glares with raised eyebrows and a smile. "I stand corrected, mentor. They do indeed seem like ideal bodyguards."  
  
"I'm glad we meet your approval," Rei said dryly and replaced her crossbow. She crossed her arms over her chest. "Do you even understand the need to have a bodyguard, Omega?"  
  
Demando chuckled softly when Serenity's eyes narrowed. "My name is Serenity." She almost sounded like a petulant child.  
  
Haruka put a hand on Rei's shoulder and the dark-haired woman obviously stopped whatever it was that she was about to say. "Do you understand, Serenity?" Haruka asked again, this time much more politely.  
  
Serenity sighed heavily and shook her head, "No, I don't."  
  
"Then let us explain," Haruka gestured to Demando's pristine white couches and the four of them sat down. Serenity seemed unwilling to leave Demando's side, for even as they sat, she pressed herself against him like a little child would use their father for protection.  
  
Patting her head absentmindedly, Demando asked, "Can you access your memory banks for the historical information? It would help to augment this discussion, Serenity." She nodded and did so.  
  
Haruka's eyes looked off into the distance, as if trying to see into the past. "This is the old calendar year of 2999, the Era of New Order. Hundreds of years ago, humanity was a group of individuals, embarking on a journey of new scientific experiments, especially dealing with genetic manipulation. But over the years, society deteriorated more and more as the gap between the rich and poor grew wider." Haruka paused for a moment and her eyes seemed to move very quickly from side to side. It was as if she was reading something and deciding what to repeat and what to ignore. She continued.  
  
"The world was a terrible place to live in. Technology had damaged the environment to such an extent that it was surprising that life was still able to be supported on Earth. Eventually, humans were so full of poisons, that they were becoming unable to have offspring, at least viable ones."  
  
Rei continued the story. "A genetic company called Gamma Alpha arose, saying that they had solutions for all the problems. They started to help rich couples conceive genetically perfect offspring and began to gather a lot of power and influence. And that led to the end of the old way of life."  
  
"It wasn't a war that involved guns or even mass casualties; it was a political war. Eventually the desire to survive overrode the desire to be human. The Alpha group got control over the Presidency in what used to be called the United States. It was only a matter of time before the rest of the world fell," Demando added quietly.  
  
"That's when the underworld began to grow," Rei looked out the window. "We're on one of the higher levels but... below us, it is a different world."  
  
"Sex is the lowest common denominator," Haruka said with a faint trace of bitterness.  
  
"Sex?" Serenity looked at the three of them with an innocent look of confusion on her face.  
  
"Oh shit," Rei muttered. "You haven't explained sex yet?"  
  
Demando glared at Rei and then flushed. "Well, it's not like I've had time to check every component of her mental programming. I've been preoccupied just trying to make sure she was assimilating the basic knowledge."  
  
Serenity cocked her head to the side. While they had been talking, she had been accessing her knowledge banks. "Sex...otherwise known as copulation. The method a species employs in order to propetuate their species. Humans and dolphins are the only two species that use it for pleas--"  
  
Coughing, Demando interrupted Serenity's speech. "Um, let's continue with the more important issues, okay Serenity?"  
  
Haruka finally refocused on Serenity. Her pale blue eyes seemed colder, more distant. "Sex, rape, murder, these are common occurrences today. Rape gangs roam around, attacking men, women, or children, whoever is unprotected. But this is the better part of the society that we live in."  
  
"We are a global community of mindless slaves. From birth to death, every major choice that we might have had is predetermined by Alpha. Mates are chosen via genetic matching, children are taken at age seven from parents and 'educated' by Alpha. Your occupation is given to you, as determined by Alpha according to what would best suit your genetic makeup."  
  
"Two hundred years ago, a group of people who were growing more and more fed up with Gamma Alpha's omnipotent powers began to speak out. They were successful in getting much of the population to agree with what they were saying, to listen to what they were trying to uncover from Alpha's dirty list of crimes. On the eve of the first political election in the United States for over two hundred years, Alpha's military went into dissenter headquarters." Haruka paused, her face contorted with pain.  
  
Hand on her comrade's shoulder, Rei picked up the story. "Every dissenter was beaten, tortured, captured or killed. No one was spared. Anyone who had spoken out against Alpha was eliminated as a potential threat. The general population was so terrified that no one dared go against Alpha on the election day. So Metallia, the head of Alpha, began to secure her power. Japan was one of the first countries to become a willing part of Gamma Alpha. All soon followed, willingly or not. The names of all countries were lost over the next few years and the group was shortened to Alpha. Every place is now a number, no distinctions, all parts of Alpha. Barely one hundred years passed until the entire world was controlled by Metallia and she's been in total power. We don't even know if she's the original leader or if its just a title given to the head of the world."  
  
Serenity's eyes widened considerably and it seemed for a moment that the innocent light that had filled the blue depths dimmed. It wasn't dramatic, but enough to be noticed.  
  
"Next in power after Metallia is the Inner Circle. Anyone in the Inner Circle of Alpha has been genetically manipulated," Rei continued. "They're stronger, smarter, and have more abilities then even the normal genetically created human." She paused, haunted by something, but almost as quickly as the change occurred, she pulled herself back into her cold shell. Seeing Rei hesitate, Haruka took her turn.  
  
"Ten years ago a prophecy was made by an old wise women. She warned that Alpha would find it's end, it's Omega, and that the world as we know it would be completely destroyed and remade." Haruka looked into Serenity's eyes so there would be no misunderstanding. She consciously directed her thoughts and memories at the small girl and formed a mental transfer link.  
  
Serenity saw the old woman give her prophecy and her execution. Alpha destroyed her completely. An image of a young girl with bright green hair stood out. The young girl had tortured the woman and, as the final act, shot the old woman. The girl simply smiled as blood spilled over the floor and splattered over her face.  
  
"'Omega will come,' were the woman's last words. The prophesy scared a lot of people. It even scared Metallia. She tightened her control even more after that. The Alpha Brigade started, a secret police of sorts, designed to sniff out any possible dissenters and destroy them. All of us lived in fear. It wasn't until two years after the death of the prophetess that we realized what Omega was." Demando looked down at Serenity and she broke gazes with Haruka. "Her words gave many of us something we all had lost long ago. Hope. The resistance pulled itself out of the depths of humanity, recruiting those willing to fight for their beliefs. We have cells scattered all around the world, some of our members in complete hiding and some working within Alpha itself. We are called Omega cell, because of our special mission to create you. We now represent the last hope for the human race."  
  
All three turned serious eyes upon the golden haired child. "You are that hope, Serenity. You are Omega, the bringer of the End to the Era of New Order, to Alpha itself." Their minds opened to Serenity then, sending a crash of emotions and memories into her mind.  
  
She was Haruka, years ago, captured and brought before Esmeraude, the Alpha Enforcer, the girl with bright green hair now all grown up. Esmeraude wanted to interrogate Haruka, to get information about the resistance and especially Project Omega. Refusing to talk, Haruka had had to endure Esmeraude's torture. The Enforcer raped Haruka. She beat her and then raped her again. She cut up her body and still continued the painful rape. The scar on her face was just one of many momentos that the Enforcer had given Haruka.  
  
She had finally been able to escape, with the aid of other resistance members, although it had seemed certain that she would be caught. But her soul had lost some of that warmth, its brilliance, after her encounter with Esmeraude the Enforcer. Serenity could feel Haruka's hatred for the green haired woman; it was like a physical blow, a line of hot pain across her cheek.  
  
Then, like a sudden breeze, Serenity was Rei, a young carefree woman. She saw a man, with hair almost as golden as Serenity's and laughing blue eyes. He kissed her, their tongues dancing. They made love, not just sex, and it was slow and passionate. Next, she was crying, as her former lover turned away from her, now in the service of Metallia, the epitome of evil. He had changed, his soul no longer the bright flame to her own. He was darker, more sinister. He frightened her more then any other being on the planet because he knew her deepest desires and dreams.  
  
And what hurt the most was that he had chosen to serve Metallia, believing that she would have killed Rei. What he didn't know was that his surrender actually boosted Metallia's power. Before he and his friends joined her, she would not have had the power to hold control over the entire globe as she did now. Serenity felt Rei's sorrow over her lost love, her pain and her grief.  
  
"So now you see the reasons for the bodyguards." Rei leaned back tiredly and sunk into the couch. Remembering her lover had been hard; it was even harder to show their most intimate moments to a young girl who didn't even understand love yet.  
  
Serenity nodded slowly. "I understand," she said simply.  
  
Demando touched her hand lightly. "Serenity, we will train you to use the body that you have been given to bring to pass Omega. We will protect you and teach you everything you need to know."  
  
She nodded.  
  
"There is another thing," Haruka said after a moment of silence. "Bringing forth Omega is no longer as simple as it might seem."  
  
Demando frowned, "What do you mean?"  
  
"We have Omega, they have their Alpha. A rather strong Alpha."  
  
Growing pale, Demando began to curse, rapidly and fluently. After a few moments, he was finally able to ask, "When did this happen?"  
  
Rei replied, "A few days after Omega achieved consciousness. Luna and Artemis just obtained the information."  
  
Standing up, Demando began to pace. "With Alpha already operational, our plans are going to be that much more difficult."  
  
Nodding, Haruka looked at the agitated scientist. "That's why Minako has assigned us to be Omega's constant bodyguards. We are to protect her. She will also have other bodyguards during any and all missions. Minako has also given orders that Serenity's training is to begin immediately. The entire resistance chain has been notified and movements against Alpha will be stepped up to distract them. All of Omega cell's resources are being put into Project Omega; anything else will be handled by other resistance cells."  
  
Glancing at the slight young woman, Haruka felt the first creepings of doubt. Would this delicate looking girl be able to defeat Alpha, the perfectly designed killing machine? Would she succeed in bringing Omega to this god-forsaken world?  
  
"Alpha is also male," Rei continued.  
  
Demando groaned and ran a hand through his pale white hair. "Who designed him?"  
  
Haruka pulled her eyes away from Serenity. "We think that it was Kalkia Skye. She's young but incredibly intelligent."  
  
"Her specialty is purely physical if I recall her file," Demando almost argued. He just couldn't accept that Alpha was online. The ramifications were just too horrible to comprehend. "There is no way she could make something like that from scratch."  
  
"She didn't," Rei raised an eyebrow, "Ever look at the innocent boy toy she carries around with her? She designed Alpha to resemble him."  
  
"Pervert," Haruka muttered.  
  
Demando blinked. "Shit. She designed Alpha after Jonathon d'Stormui?"  
  
"Why does that matter so much, mentor," Serenity finally asked in a quiet voice. Their conversation was confusing her and she was trying her best to understand what they were saying.  
  
"Jonathon was one of the strongest and smartest men ever to work for Metallia. During an accident, something affected his brain. Genetically, he's still very close to perfect, but mentally he's a mess. Metallia can't trust him anymore, so she gave him to Zoicite to play with. Kalkia managed to get him into her apartment and away from Zoicite." He paused and took a deep breath. "Who's in charge of Alpha's mental progression? I know that Skye couldn't have done all that this quickly without help."  
  
"I think that her name is Rose Nakazaki," Haruka looked thoughtful. "And if what I recall is true, then she's a super genius. Rumors say that she makes Ami look like a non-enhanced human."  
  
"But we never listen to rumors," Rei actually joked.  
  
Shocked, Demando grew even paler, if that was possible. Alarmed, Serenity stood and took his arm. Guiding him gently to the couch, she got the ice-cold man to sit.  
  
"What wrong, Demando," asked Rei, her violet eyes peering into Demando's with concern.  
  
He shook his head, as if trying to deny the truth. "I've worked with both of them, before my 'termination' by Alpha. They were only teens then, but you could tell that their mental potential was enormous. I knew that Metallia had taken special interest in their cases." Haruka and Rei shot each other a look of alarm, but Demando ignored them. "If Alpha was designed by their team, you can be sure that they did a good job. What I still can't believe is that they completed the project so quickly. We were years ahead of them."  
  
The door opened with a whoosh, without the customary beep for admittance. Both Rei and Haruka tensed in anticipation, their weapons drawn. A couple walked into the room. The woman had jet black hair and soft blue eyes while the man had waist-length hair as white as Demando's and the same colored eyes as the woman next to him. Seeing them, both Rei and Haruka replaced their weapons, relaxing.  
  
Plopping down on the couch next to Rei, Artemis grinned at Demando. "Are you coming up to speed with all the latest developments, Demando?" He felt the need to clear the air of all the doom and gloom coming from the white-haired scientist.  
  
Luna chided her husband. "Artemis, this is not a laughing matter!" Instantly the man sobered, but his eyes still held a hint of mirth. All the occupants in the room, including his very serious wife, couldn't help but smile; his jovial nature was infectious.  
  
Turning her attention to Demando, Luna sat next to Artemis. "So, Demando, have the girls told you everything?"  
  
"Not quite. What I want to know is how Alpha got their project completed so quickly."  
  
Luna frowned. "Our sources aren't quite clear on that. But the story is that Metallia had the scientists taken by force to her top laboratory and coerced them to work on the project."  
  
"We don't know what hold she has over them," Artemis said, his own face holding a frown. "Especially the head scientists. If we could find out, we might have been able to keep Alpha from being completed so quickly." He sighed and ran a hand through his long white hair. "If we could find out the hold, perhaps we could try..." He didn't finish his sentence, but let the suggestion hang in the air. It really was a decision to see how close to the devil they were willing to get. All resistance actions into the heart of the Alpha infrastructure, especially their scientific research areas, were disastrous, usually ending up with the deaths of all volunteers on the mission.  
  
Haruka smashed her fist into her palm. "Enough talk about what ifs and could have beens. It's time that we took action. While we waste time here, Alpha is gaining the advantage. If you don't mind," she said as she stood and placed a hand on Serenity's elbow, "we'll be in the practice room. Come on Rei." The trio left, leaving the other three to discuss what would be their next step.  
  
*Top Alpha Laboratory, Alpha One Enclave*  
  
Rose rubbed her temples, a headache quickly gathering. She looked over at the couple on her couch and frowned, the headache growing even more. "Kalkia..." she said with a warning tone.  
  
"Yeah?" The redhead tried to stifle a gasp as the dark haired man kissed her neck. The two had been kissing--no, kissing was too mild a term. Making out was even too mild. She didn't have a word for what they were doing and they had been doing it for the last half hour. If she hadn't already been used to the way that Kalkia acted, then Rose would have seriously considered homicide as the remedy for her headache.  
  
Endymion tilted his head and watched the couple curiously. "I still am unsure as to what they're doing."  
  
The man holding Kalkia chuckled and pushed the redhead off his lap. She made a whimper of disappointment but easily settled against his side. The man was extremely tall; even sitting down it was possible to see that he was close to six and a half feet. He was broad shouldered and very muscular, his eyes an unearthly blue. His black hair was short and gelled in a messy fashion.  
  
If anyone had dared to comment, they would have noticed that Endymion resembled this man, almost as if they were brothers, although Endymion was a little shorter.  
  
"I still don't see what this has to do with my training," Endymion finally said.  
  
Kalkia laughed quietly and shook her head. "It doesn't. I'm not going to be fighting you anymore, Jon is--"  
  
There was a loud and high-pitched beep. The doors didn't wait for the customary 'enter' before they opened. In came two people, a man with long silver hair, and a young woman with long bright green locks. It was obviously her natural color, and that in itself was a little freaky.  
  
Endymion could feel the hackles of the other three original occupants rise at the sight of both the new arrivals. The silver-haired man merely gave him a once over before settling his gaze at the surprised Rose. The woman, however, was staring most fixedly at Endymion, with a hungry glint in her eyes. He was perplexed; why was the woman staring at him so?  
  
The green-haired woman stepped up to him, her hips swaying very seductively. Kalkia bit down the urge to snort indelicately. To say that that Esmeraude was seductive was like saying that elephants were graceful. But Esmeraude didn't enjoy being mocked. So Kalkia wisely held her tongue. She had kept herself carefully out of the other woman's clutches, she wasn't about to be stupid now. No, she simply broadcasted her thought to Jonathon, who squeezed her hand. Her dry humor always amused him.  
  
Smoothing her hands down his chest, Esmeraude purred in Endymion's ear. "So you're Project Alpha. My, my, aren't you a lovely dish?" Her hands traveled down Endymion's body, hovering near his flat stomach. "Tell me, Kalkia, is he as nicely hung as Jon?" She reached down the front of his pants in an attempt to cup him.  
  
Endymion felt a wave of disgust that accompanied the woman's touch. She was repulsive. But before he could step back from the woman, a slender hand wrapped around Esmeraude's throat and lifted her into the air.  
  
Squeezing just a bit, letting the other woman know that she could indeed kill her, Rose growled, "Do NOT touch Endymion with your filthy hands, Esmeraude." Her deep violet eyes filled with anger as Rose tossed Esmeraude into the far wall, single-handedly. She stepped in front of the taller Endymion, as if to protect him.  
  
Rose knew she would pay for the small victory sooner or later. Hopefully it would be later rather than sooner. The Enforcer always pushed the limits of Rose's tolerance and Rose always took the bait. Kalkia had always been able to avoid it and ignore Esmeraude but Rose couldn't. Esmeraude seemed to enjoy getting Rose in trouble. And striking the top officer of the Alpha Brigade was getting into deep trouble. One day, Rose's luck would run out and Esmeraude would finally be allowed to personally punish her, something Rose was sure she would not survive. But Esmeraude kept pushing and Rose kept pushing back, even knowing the possible ramifications.  
  
Dazed, Esmeraude rolled up from the floor. She glared at Rose. "Damn you, bitch," she shrieked as she wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth. She got up to retaliate, but the silver-haired man put up a hand to stop her.  
  
"Do not touch the doctor, Esmeraude."  
  
She shot the still glaring doctor a dirty look. "General Kunzite, that bitc-" Kunzite's hand shot out and smacked the Enforcer.  
  
His ice-green eyes showed his anger as he stated in his quiet, deadly tone, "Do not make me repeat myself, Esmeraude."  
  
Esmeraude shot one last glare at Rose before she bowed. "As you command, general." Spinning on her heel, she left the room, stomping angrily the entire way.  
  
Kunzite lifted a gloved hand to his temple, as if he had a headache from dealing with Esmeraude. He looked over at Rose and shook his head disapprovingly. She did not reply, just merely looked at him.  
  
"You can't let Esmeraude get her claws in him. It's rape until he knows what's going on," Kalkia said quietly. "Unless your tastes have changed," she tilted her head to one side and let the statement hang in the air.  
  
"Do not test me, Kalkia, I'm not in the mood."  
  
"You hardly ever are."  
  
The General turned his cold silver-green eyes on her and she let go of Jonathon's hand. He just stood slightly behind her and his presence was indeed very threatening, telling Kunzite that he would attack him if he raised a hand to her.  
  
"I want to know your progress," Kunzite said instead of chiding Kalkia further. Physically, Kunzite was not a match for the much taller man. He would simply wait until Kalkia was alone. Kunzite had a great deal of patience when it came to things such as these. He looked over at Rose and Endymion. "He has not been given full mental knowledge yet, has he?"  
  
Rose looked away. Kunzite sighed in annoyance.  
  
"We've been through this, doctor. He has to have knowledge of everything. He needs to know why he is the only person capable of stopping Omega. In order to do that, he needs everything."  
  
He looked over at Kalkia and smirked slightly. "And letting him watch Kalkia screw Jonathon is not necessarily the best education."  
  
"Shut up, Kunzite." Kalkia was about to say more when Jon put a hand on her shoulder.  
  
"Or perhaps I should call Esmeraude back in here if you want him to learn about sex. Perhaps she and Kalkia can give him a live demonstration. Or Rose instead, since Esmeraude is so fond of you."  
  
Kalkia rose, her hands clenched into fists. But Rose's terrified pleading look and Jonathan's hand upon her shoulder kept her from striking Alpha's highest ranking officer. Smirking, Kunzite walked up to Rose and fingered a tendril of her hair. She lowered her face, trying to mask her sheer fright.  
  
"No, I don't think I'll need to call Esmeraude in, will I, Rose," asked Kunzite, quiet triumph written in every inflection.  
  
Slowly, Rose raised her face, her every expression closed. She shook her head. "No need, General Kunzite."  
  
"You've taken quite a liking to the project, haven't you, doctor?"  
  
Kalkia bit her lip and squeezed Jon's hand harder. She knew her friend well enough to know that Rose was disgusted and fearful of the general.   
  
The bastard had been interested in her when she first joined Alpha. Back then, she was too young, naive even, to understand. She thought that Kunzite was a good friend. Rose had enjoyed their time spent together, saying that Kunzite understood her perfectly and was her best friend.  
  
But then Kunzite had tried to make advances, the night when she tried to confront him about another issue. Confused, Rose had turned him down, never having any intention of that sort with him. He raped her in return.  
  
Kalkia still remembered the night when Rose showed up at her quarters, her eyes completely blank and her face slack, as if her mind had taken flight. It did no good to report a rape like this, there was no justice anymore. So Kalkia had helped clean her up and did her best to help dull the memories.   
  
Once in awhile, Kunzite seemed to take great pleasure in forcing Rose to return to his bed. She always gave in eventually, no matter how much she wished to fight him, because he always threatened to kill someone. He once slit the throat of a young boy in front of her when she tried to refuse and Kalkia knew that memory always haunted her. It was something she could practically taste every time Rose briefly remembered it.  
  
Rose shot Kalkia a look, telling her to stop thinking of the past. But even when Kalkia stopped, Rose continued. The poor boy was a starving waif from the streets. When she tried to fight back, Kunzite had dragged the poor shaking child into his chambers and before she could grasp the situation, slit the boy's throat with his sword. The boy's wide, frightened gray eyes bore into Rose's own, pleading with her to save him. She had tried to save the boy, but Kunzite, backed with the power of Metallia, had struck her down. He then told her that this would happen every time she refused as he tossed the boy's body onto the ground. Rose had cradled the child's cooling body and sobbed for the rest of the night.  
  
The terror in the room was strong enough to breathe. The fear filled Kalkia's lungs thickly and breathing became a little more difficult. Even Endymion felt it, and felt why. He couldn't understand, not yet. He did know that he didn't like this man. He wasn't afraid, but he did hate. Kalkia closed her eyes and, for the briefest instant, shined a pale silver. Her mental bond with Rose allowed Rose to take strength from her friend's concern and Rose forced herself to stay in control of herself.  
  
This action caused the attention of Kunzite to shift, although he still had his fingers wrapped in Rose's hair. He raised an eyebrow and Kalkia smirked in return. "Do what you came to do, Kunzite, and then leave. Stop getting off on trying to scare us because it won't work."  
  
"You would be wise not to anger me, Kalkia." He looked back down at Rose, who was avoiding his gaze. "Rose shows that sense of wisdom."  
  
"Why? Because you'll force me? I know more about sex then you could ever hope to know."  
  
The silver-haired man chuckled. "Ah yes, I remember that experiment. I never got to read the report."  
  
"Look it up sometime, it's a very interesting read," she said dryly.  
  
"I have other interests at the moment," Kunzite said and then looked back at Endymion. "Although I must know, does he function correctly?"  
  
"We haven't exactly taken him for a test drive."  
  
"And why not?" Kunzite looked at her coolly. "He's your type. I'm sure that if we left you two alone in a room long enough, we'd find out."  
  
Kalkia sighed heavily and crossed her arms over her chest. Endymion could tell that she was beginning to lose the small amount of patience she had. "He's made perfectly to the dimensions of Omega. Everything about him was built so that he could seduce and satisfy her. In that moment he would be able to take her and kill her. Omega is the only woman that is going to get him all the way up, Kunzite. Everyone else will just be boring."  
  
"I see," Kunzite murmured and then looked back down at Rose. "It really is a pity that you're not a blonde," he sounded vaguely disappointed. He shoved her away and Rose almost stumbled but Endymion caught her before she fell to the ground. He had wisely held his peace, not wanting to make it worse then it already was.  
  
Breathing heavily, Rose finally spoke again. "Even if I was Minako, Kunzite, I would not touch you. She hates you and I share her sentiments." Pure, unadulterated anger blazed in her eyes, chasing away the icy panic from before.  
  
Incensed, Kunzite turned back to Rose, but she held his gaze. When he raised his hand to backhand her, a golden shimmer surrounded her and repelled him just before he made contact. Clutching his injured hand, Kunzite growled. "You'll pay for this tonight, Rose." He tossed a glare at Endymion, who still had an arm around her, steadying the doctor. "Mark my words, you will pay me dearly for this insult. If not, something might just happen to poor Project Alpha." With those parting words, he left the room.  
  
Once he was gone, Rose allowed herself to slide to the floor. Endymion knelt by her side, concerned. He touched her cheek, surprised to find it wet. The doctor was...crying. So relieved was she that the man was gone that she was crying.  
  
"He can't kill or damage Endymion in any way," Jonathon said after a moment of tense quiet.  
  
"Jon shut up," Kalkia snapped softly. "Just shut up."  
  
"No, but he can hand Endymion to Esmeraude. He can take a lot of damage without dying, but Kunzite knows it would hurt me to know that Endymion was being raped or tortured." Mustering a smile, Rose wiped her tears away and gave a grateful look to Endymion, Kalkia, and Jon. "Thanks guys. I was hoping that he forgot about me, but it seems he has broken his newest conquest a lot earlier than expected." With Endymion's assistance, she raised herself up from the floor. "Come on, Endymion. It's time to test the integration of the mental programming thus far. I'll have to start adding some things soon or else Alpha will start to question the delay."  
  
Kalkia placed a hand on Rose's shoulder. "Will you be alright, Rose?"  
  
Not turning around, she replied, "I hope so, I really do." Holding Endymion's hand, Rose left the practice room, Kalkia and Jon both watching them, worried.  
  
Kalkia sighed quietly as she watched her friend and co-worker go into the other room. Jonathon gently placed his hands on her shoulders. "She still hurts."  
  
"No shit, Sherlock," Kalkia snapped but she leaned back into his chest. His arms came around her waist and they stood in silence for a long time.  
  
"You hurt too."  
  
"Kunzite never raped me. You can't rape the willing, remember?" She closed her dark green eyes and was silent for a moment. "Besides, he doesn't want a girl who can top him."  
  
Jonathon chuckled, "Very true. Rose could do it if she tried."  
  
Kalkia shook her head, "No, she can't. She'll submit every time because of what happened the last time she refused."  
  
"Have you ever refused?" His tone was almost accusatory for a moment.  
  
"Screwing him and submitting are two different things and--" She cut herself off. "We're not having this argument again, Jon. You know that I can't control what they did to me."  
  
"Are the drugs helping at all?"  
  
"It adapts too quickly." She pulled out of his arms and went to the tinted window. He watched her for a moment and ran a hand through his hair.  
  
"You know I would give anything to take it away."  
  
She smiled sadly. "It's not really that bad. It's only a problem after an adrenaline rush. I don't get a lot of those in the office."  
  
"What about when you've been training with Endymion?"  
  
"That's why you're here."  
  
Jonathon actually laughed quietly and she turned to smile at him. "I forget why I'm complaining again."  
  
Kalkia blinked several times and felt the rush of heat go through her. "You know, so have I. Rose has a private--"  
  
She never got to finish her sentence, for Jonathon had picked her up, tossed her over his shoulder and was carrying back to the aforementioned room.  
  
*Testing Facility, Alpha Laboratory*  
  
She practically dragged him to the testing room. He could feel her heart hammering in her chest, the taste of fear in her skin, hear the jumble of her thoughts. She was disturbed by the encounter. Slamming the door shut behind her, the doctor leaned against the door, her eyes shut, trying to regain control.  
  
Endymion placed a hand upon her quivering shoulder. Instantly, she reacted, twisting his arm behind him and placing pressure on his elbow.  
  
"DON'T TOUCH ME," Rose screamed, her eyes wide with fright. She blinked a few times, her mind finally registering that it was Endymion that she had in her grasp. Releasing him, she stammered out an apology.  
  
Shaking his head, he reached out to touch the doctor but stopped. "What did he do to you?"  
  
Rose hugged herself, shivering. "I don't want to discuss it, Endymion. Please don't make me refuse you again."  
  
He nodded. This was a subject that he could drop, for now. But it was strange. Somehow, he felt that he should know, that he should somehow try to make things right for the woman in front of him. But he didn't want to press the issue, so he let the doctor compose herself in silence.  
  
After a few minutes, Rose seemed back to her non-emotional self. She patted the examination table and motioned for Endymion to have a seat. She hopped onto the table next to him and leaned her head against his shoulder, closing her eyes. Endymion could feel her heart rate slow, her rapid breathing calm down, as the peacefulness relaxed her. He felt something too, as if the peacefulness was seeping into him as well.  
  
Finally, Rose opened her violet eyes, gazing at Endymion with a smile. "I suppose I should explain to you some things. You already have learned about your purpose, to destroy Omega. You have been created for that sole purpose. You are, for a lack of a better term, her soulmate, her perfect complement."  
  
"Kalkia and I were recruited at an early age for our mental abilities. Alpha Group hired us to make Project Alpha, a genetically altered human in order to defeat the resistance's Project Omega. Kalkia went ahead and designed you physically from a variety of men, mostly from her lover, Jonathan, the man you met. I was to be in charge of your mental and cognitive programming. I designed you using my own mind as a blueprint. That is why you feel protective of me, why we seem to have an odd connection. You are, in a sense, a part of me."  
  
"But, as Alpha demanded, I tweaked certain aspects. You are mentally only satisfied with Omega as your mental equal. Everyone else will pale in comparison. When we discovered that Omega was going to be a female, well, we made her the only person who could," Rose paused. She blushed and tried to figure out how to explain it as delicately as possible. "Um, well, you know, make you happy. This aspect is to help you better find Omega. We do not know what Omega looks like, so that is your first mission: to find out who Omega is. Of course, you'll have to locate her."  
  
Endymion slowly nodded and processed all of this. He was quiet and in thought for a very long time. "And then once I locate her, I have to kill her."  
  
"Yes." Rose didn't move from her place of leaning against him. She really didn't want to, and after what had happened back in the common room, she needed the comfort only his presence could give.  
  
"So I have to kill my soulmate."  
  
"Yes."  
  
He looked somewhat disheartened at that fact. "Is that even possible? To kill one's soulmate?"  
  
Rose considered her answer carefully. "Omega is going to destroy the world, Endymion. She's going to be the end of all humanity. You have to understand that killing her is the only way to save billions of lives."  
  
"Could Kalkia kill Jon?"  
  
"You'll have to ask her that question. I don't know. But I know that when we are through training you and once you see the absolute destruction that Omega is capable of, you'll understand. Rule number one: Life isn't fair."  
  
Something in her voice made Endymion pause. He tried to look her in the eyes, but she avoided his gaze. "What are you not telling me, doctor?"  
  
Silence. "I've told you everything I can, Endymion. To the best of my knowledge, this is what I know about Omega."  
  
"I don't think so. There is something else."  
  
He wrapped an arm around her, and she sighed. "Damn programming. You even know when I'm telling half-truths. Well, to be honest, you can't believe anything that Alpha tells you. They say that Omega is the bringer of destruction, but something in my gut tells me that they're lying. That Omega isn't really that evil. Because I know that Alpha is evil and, as a result, Omega should be good if she is their opponent. I've told Kalkia this but she isn't sure. She admits that it's a possibility but she doesn't have that feeling that I do."  
  
Suddenly, Rose sat up, altering her position by Endymion's side. She gently lifted his hand and pointed it to her temple. "I have to do this. But you can't tell anyone, Endymion, promise me." He nodded. "I'm going to let you absorb my conscience. I want you to know right from wrong, no matter what the orders from Alpha said." She looked at him with such a fierce gleam of determination that he complied. Placing his hand on the side of her head, they opened a mental link.  
  
It was like living another person's life. He became Rose, experiencing her strict education at the Alpha facility for children. He came to the attention of Alpha's Inner Circle, joined the team of top researchers for Alpha. He experienced what happened with Kunzite, the night she lost her innocence both physically and mentally. He saw how she blamed herself for the death of the boy, how she didn't completely squash Kunzite's interest in her because she did not wish her fate to befall on another soul. He, no she, suffered by choice, despite her fear. He felt how she regretted completing Project Alpha, because he felt that somehow this was wrong. But he also knew that if he did not comply, Alpha would begin executing innocent citizens until she did. She had tried to kill herself but Alpha always brought her back.  
  
Rose broke the link, her eyes soft and wistful. "If my actions bring about the doom of humanity and the eternal triumph of Alpha, I will surely rot in hell. But by doing this, by giving you a sense of morality, I can hope that perhaps, I will prevent such a future."  
  
It took a while for Endymion to process the information. He didn't realize how long until he noticed that Kalkia was standing in the doorway, not looking very pleased. However, she did look extremely...sated. Her long auburn hair was out of its customary braid and her green eyes were shining.   
  
But she did not look pleased. He drew his hand away from Rose's temple and looked at Kalkia steadily.  
  
Finally, Kalkia spoke. "Rose, you're going to get us killed. I love you like a sister, but you're going to get us killed."  
  
Endymion looked at her at length. "You have no proof," he said suddenly, "You're guessing." He could see it, just as he knew that Rose could easily tell that Kalkia was guessing.  
  
"It's a damn good guess if I'm right. I know I'm right Endymion."  
  
"You won't say anything."  
  
"What kind of a heartless bitch do you think I am?"  
  
"Kalkia..." Rose didn't want her upset.  
  
"Answer the question, Endymion. Now that you have a goddamn conscious tell me what you think of me? Tell me that I have no soul because I can live with the way things are." Kalkia glared at the two of them but Rose let it slide. Because of what Alpha had done to control her, Kalkia was hardly ever pleasant after sex. Then again, she was hardly ever pleasant most of the time.  
  
"I think..." Endymion reassessed his thoughts. "WE think that you do the best that you can do, given the circumstances, Kalkia. We love you a lot, but we do disagree with you on a lot of things. We can understand that you are, while not happy about it, accepting of things the way they are. But we also know that we can't think the same way. We wish you could understand, that we don't want to endanger your life or Jon's, but we are compelled to fight. You once were too, before, and that is why Alpha had to control you. And because of that, you lost a part of yourself."  
  
Kalkia glared at Endymion. "Lost a part of myself? Do you know how much I lost?"  
  
"We've all lost something, Kalkia," whispered Rose, not making eye contact with either person. "I just want to stop other people from losing what we've lost."  
  
Kalkia walked up to Rose and gripped her arms. "Rose, you are only one person. You can't stop the entire Alpha Group. You'll only wind up getting yourself killed."  
  
Rose gave a small smile. "I'd prefer death to this living nightmare." She pulled away from Kalkia, turning her back on her friend. "Go help Jon clean up my office, please Kalkia. Pretend that you didn't see this. Erase it from your mind. If I am caught, they'll scan you and find that you have no knowledge of it. You'll be free of all guilt."  
  
Kalkia shook her head. "God Rose, I don't know if you're a hopeless fool or a noble soul."  
  
"I'm neither Kalkia. I'm just me." Rose glowed golden and a tendril of power shot toward her friend. "Go Kalkia and forget all that you have seen here. Go back to the arms of Jonathan."  
  
Kalkia's emerald eyes dilated and she seemed to be in a trance. Slowly, she turned around and headed back to Rose's private office.  
  
"You made her forget?"  
  
"She let me make her forget. I don't make Kalkia do anything. She forgot because she wanted to. She's not as big of a bitch as she seems."  
  
Sighing once more, Rose glanced at the clock. "I have about four hours before the general demands my presence. I have to start programming you with some social knowledge so that you can blend into the general population." She reached to pick up an instrument but Endymion grabbed her wrist.  
  
"That's wrong, what he does to you," he stated, matter of factly.  
  
Rose carefully pulled her hand away and picked up the instrument. "Of course it's wrong. But I really don't have a choice in the matter. Like Kalkia, I've accepted it and moved on."  
  
"Liar."  
  
"Don't be childish, Endymion."  
  
"That's what makes you different from her," he said as he watched her closely. It almost became unnerving as she began to set up the procedure. "We love Kalkia, but there are parts of her that are past feeling. You wish you could be like her. That you could accept things and move on. It would make your life easier if you could, but you can't. It's why you cry and why you fear."  
  
Rose looked off to the side and then began to complete the set up. She said nothing and carefully made her face blank. "This might sting."  
  
"You know I'm right."  
  
"No, you're not."  
  
He gave her a slight grin. "I'm a part of you. You can't lie to me. I'm right and you keep trying to deny it."  
  
She paused, for a moment, deep in thought. "You are right. But you also must know, if you are a part of me, that I go through the motions because I have to wait for that time when I can finally break free. Rattling the cage right now will only get me locked up even tighter. I'd end up like Kalkia. The only thing thus far that has kept me from her fate is Kunzite's fascination with me. So even that terrible thing has become a tool for me to use. I pretend to obey, act like I comply, all the while biding my time. I want out of this, somehow. I've tried death, but those bastards won't let me die. So I have to find some other way."  
  
"You can't die, you mustn't. I'd miss you."  
  
Rose laughed bitterly. "No you won't, Endymion. I'm just your cognitive blueprint. You wouldn't really miss me." She slid the cold metal band on Endymion's forehead.  
  
He shook his head, the band making him feel a tad lopsided. "Yes, I would. You're my friend, as much as I'm yours. We're kindred spirits because we're the same, as similar as possible in almost every mental aspect."  
  
She said nothing, the set of her mouth showing that she didn't like this line of conversation. She began to punch a few buttons on her computer, detailing what information she wanted to transfer. When she turned back to him to upload the data, he placed a hand over her heart.  
  
"We're the same and you can't leave me. I'd miss you too much," he said in a quiet voice.  
  
Rose paused. "Stop trying to bond with me, Endymion. I don't need another friend. Kalkia is about all I can handle."  
  
"I think you do," he replied right before Rose made him unconscious for the data transfer.  
  
Initiating the transfer, Rose looked at Endymion's slack face with regret. "I can't be your friend, Endymion, because I'm making you into a disposable weapon. I can't let myself get close to someone I know will probably leave me. Not again, never again."  
  
*Omega Cell Headquarters, Alpha One Enclave*  
  
"You know, this is rather annoying." Serenity was swinging her legs over the edge of the medical table like an impatient child. The sight made Haruka smile behind her hand and the blue-haired doctor standing in front of her chuckled quietly. Around the young girl's forehead was a thin copper ring.  
  
"It's necessary," Haruka said firmly as Ami began to take off the equipment. "Now, explain to me what you learned.  
  
Serenity sighed but dutifully explained her new knowledge. Ami began to watch her vital signs very closely and recorded the data for Demando to look at later. When they were finally done with the assimilation process, Serenity began to ask questions about their personal lives.  
  
"So you're a girl."  
  
"Yes."  
  
"But you like to pretend you're a man."  
  
Haruka frowned slightly, "It's not cross-dressing, Serenity. I just find men's clothing more comfortable."  
  
She bit her lower lip as she thought about this. "Okay. But you have a girlfriend."  
  
"Yes."  
  
Serenity frowned. "I don't understand how that works. You don't have interlocking parts."  
  
Ami laughed quietly as the blonde bodyguard looked very flustered and tried to hide her blush. "Serenity, Haruka's relationship with Michiru is not that important. Luna and Artemis are going to come and tell us any new information they have."  
  
Serenity turned her attention back to Ami, her frown still on her lovely features. "Fine, doctor, but still, it's a very interesting question."  
  
"What is?" asked Luna as she entered the room.  
  
Before Serenity could speak up, Haruka interrupted with a fast "Hello Luna, what a fine day it is today. Do you have any new information for us?"  
  
Frowning, Luna glanced at Haruka. The girl was positively flustered and blushing as well. Oh well, it was none of her business anyways. Serenity had probably said something innocent and Haruka couldn't explain it to her yet. Artemis might have been more likely to pursue the matter further. However, he was still back at Omega cell's tactical room, keeping an eye out for any new information. "Well, nothing quite yet about Project Alpha, only the same as before. But we do have new information about the first target."  
  
Interested, Serenity turned her complete attention to Luna. "Target? You mean one of the seven artifacts I am to recover for Omega to occur?"  
  
Behind Serenity, Ami nodded excitedly, recording all the readouts into her computer. It seemed that Serenity was handling the new information very well, without any danger of falling into mental blow-out. Luna gave Serenity an approving smile. "Why yes, Serenity. The first artifact is in a museum in the former city of London. There is one nearby, but Alpha has it more heavily guarded, so we'll need more time to crack their defense patterns. So London seems the next best target."  
  
"What will be my mission, Luna?"  
  
Glancing at Haruka who was still blushing, Luna answered, "Well, since this is your first mission, we'll need to see how well prepared you are to handle any Alphas you might encounter. The first artifact will be the easiest since it's on public display. Haruka and Rei will accompany you as your bodyguards, of course. Some of our other members will be there to help you on your mission. You'll be contacted by some of our legitimate agents there who will gain you access to the viewing. You are to locate the true artifact amongst the frauds and recover it for the Resistance."  
  
Haruka shook her head having just then recovered. "Sheesh Luna, why don't you ask her to grab the moon from the sky, while you're at it? How can she do all this in her first mission?"  
  
Luna shot Haruka a glare. "Haruka, Omega has been created to be better than your average humanoid. We don't have any time. Minako is going to train her personally and the rest of the scientists are going to program her as quickly as possible. You have a week to prepare. I know that Serenity will be prepared." She turned to leave. Just before she exited the doors, she added one more comment. "If she fails, all is lost. Train her well, Haruka."  
  
Author Notes:  
  
KC: ::runs off, chasing a harried-looking Endymion:: RS: ::sweatdrops:: Um, don't worry about that folks...It's just cuz we wrote this chapter for a few hours straight, until 4 in the morning, even though I had two midterms to study for ^^;;; So excuse us if we're a little cuckoo. Also, since we slaved until, I repeat, 4 AM in the morning, it would be highly appreciated if you sent us some feedback =P Oh yeah, Rose and Kalkia are going to be big characters... just a warning. ::sighs:: I better go rescue Endy before Kayla gets her mitts on him ^^;;; 


	3. Chapter Two

*Disclaimer: Again, we have no ownership of Bishoujo Senshin Sailor  
Moon. But we are working on rectifying that problem right now. ::a  
tied up Naoko squirms, irritated:: Now now, Naoko, just sign on the  
dotted line. Be a good girl. ::the wrapped author breaks loose:: Darn,  
we'll have to chase her now...on with the story until we catch her!  
  
Alpha's Omega  
Chapter Two  
By: Kayla Chavi and The Rose Society  
Rating: R  
Email: kaylachavi@hotmail.com  
EtrlSlrMn@aol.com  
http://www.envy.nu/kaylachavi/index.htm  
http://www.wishing-blue.net/kii/ *NEW*  
  
Serenity lifted her staff, testing its weight with her hands. It  
was going to be her last training session before her first mission and  
her trainer was anxious about her abilities. Granted, Serenity had  
learned faster than would be expected of the average human, but then  
again, she was also created to be better than average. She had made  
outstanding advances since she had first gained consciousness, but she  
didn't think that satisfied her trainer very much.  
  
The door to the training room opened, causing Serenity to look  
up. Entering the room was a woman not much older than herself. She too  
had golden hair, although hers was a tad more flaxen then Serenity's.  
With her cornflower blue eyes, Minako was a fair beauty, seemingly  
very innocent. But the empty look in her eyes betrayed that image,  
making most think twice before messing with her. After all, one did  
not become the leader of a resistance cell without having some degree  
of ruthlessness. Minako was practical above all things, very good at  
survival, even at enormous cost. She never let her emotions get in the  
way of the cause, putting every ounce of herself into everything she  
did. It was mainly because of her that Serenity had progressed so  
rapidly.  
  
Minako spared Serenity a glance before grabbing her own  
weapon. She was very wary of Project Omega. The girl had an amazing  
ability to peer into the soul, the memories of other people. While it  
wasn't that uncommon of an ability, Omega could bridge even the  
strongest of barriers with a touch and Minako made sure to avoid any  
close contact with Serenity.  
  
The first time they had brushed mental hands, Serenity had  
relived her days with Kunzite and their painful parting. When Minako  
had finally pulled herself from Serenity's mind, the girl was crying.  
Now, Minako felt as if Serenity looked at her with pity. And that was  
one thing that Minako did not want. Pity was for the weak and Minako  
was anything but.  
  
Serenity watched her for a moment before going into the center  
of the room. She had been trained in all manner of weapons. Today they  
were going to go through a series of weapons. The room was filled with  
them and the object was to keep disarming your opponent until they ran  
out of weapons.  
  
Minako didn't even ask if Serenity was ready before attacking.  
Sword met sword in a flash of sparks and a loud clang. Metal work had  
improved over the ages so the swords were lightweight yet very sharp  
and well balanced. Serenity didn't hold back; she rarely had to  
against this opponent, and if she did, then Minako would chide her for  
it. Serenity kept her weapon for a few moments before Minako disarmed  
her in a simple movement.  
  
Serenity grabbed the closest weapon to her, a spear. She used  
her momentum to drive it against the sword and knocked Minako off  
balance. The leader of Omega cell stumbled but maintained her grip on  
the sword.  
  
This continued for nearly twenty minutes until once again  
Serenity found herself unarmed. She was about to get another weapon  
when a gun went off. Red dye spread over her practice clothes and she  
sighed in defeat. It was a fatal wound, the signal for the end of the  
match.  
  
Minako stood there, holding a simple pistol. "What's the  
lesson, Serenity?"  
  
The Omega project just looked at her, stunned, and Minako  
shook her head in frustration. "You're expecting me to play fair. This  
isn't a game with rules. It is much easier for me to shoot you dead  
then it is to fight you with a sword." She paused, "What's the  
lesson, Serenity?"  
  
"That not everyone will play fair. That you must be prepared  
for treachery. And if you want to survive, you yourself must be  
practical and use whatever means necessary to survive," intoned  
Serenity, standing up. Her movement jostled the bruise that had  
formed from the impact of the rubber bullet. Concentrating, she opened  
her healing powers, something she had been taught recently, and  
instantly, her bruise was gone.  
  
Nodding, Minako turned to face the team of scientists  
responsible for Project Omega. Demando was overseeing the entire match  
while Ami rapidly analyzed data on a handheld computer. Ryo, a short  
man with dark brown hair and an almond complexion, was conversing with  
Taiki, a tall, brown-haired hermaphrodite, about the level of skill  
that Serenity was displaying.  
  
"Take your measurements quickly," Minako said as she stretched  
out. She did a series of flips to loosen her body. "Omega and I need  
to continue."  
  
Serenity waited for the hub to clear and to give them room.  
Taiki quickly finished up his set of measurements before giving her a  
smile. She had decided that he was more a he than a she. Serenity had  
learned that his original sex was male before the experimentation, so  
she referred to him as male. It seemed perfectly logical to her. She  
couldn't understand why that simple problem made other people a little  
nervous around Taiki.  
  
She was contemplating her assignment when she looked over at  
Minako. "What weapons will I be given for the mission?" she asked  
suddenly. "If that is what I'm being trained for, then I need to  
practice with what I have."  
  
Minako looked at her for a long moment without any expression.  
Slowly she smiled and a hint of pride showed through her coldness.  
"I'm impressed," she stated as she went over to the side where a  
weapons locker was standing partially open. "I didn't think you would  
even consider that for at least another two days." Serenity felt the  
warm glow of pride go through her. Minako didn't get impressed over a  
lot of things that impressed others.  
  
Minako dragged the first piece of equipment out of the locker.  
It was a beautiful sword, short and slender enough to fit in a hidden  
sheath along Serenity's spine, much like Haruka's own blade. Minako  
handed it to Serenity.  
  
Hefting it to get an idea of the sword's balance and weight,  
Serenity gave Minako a slightly puzzled look. "We just established  
that a gun would be easier. Shouldn't I be equipped with one?"  
  
Smiling wryly, Minako waved a hand at Serenity. "You are an  
impatient one, I'll give you that. The museum showing will be  
heavily guarded, with a lot of security. A gun would be immediately  
found by the detectors. That sword," Minako motioned with her head,  
"is much more harder to detect, it being the same configuration and  
material as some of the human-enhancing metal parts that some people  
have. In addition to the sword, you will be carrying a few knives,  
hidden along the outfit you'll be wearing. You will also be equipped  
with a few psyche-affecting bombs. Make sure to shield yourself  
before detonation, or else you'll have one hell of a hangover."  
  
"I haven't experienced a hangover yet," Serenity pointed out,  
but knew what the other blonde had meant. "However I will shield  
myself," she said quickly before Minako could say anything.  
  
"Now, if we had more time, we'd have someone train you in  
how to shield a gun from the detectors. However, we do not have that  
luxury at the present time. It took most above average people six  
months. I'm predicting two weeks for you. But we don't have that time.  
Perhaps later." Minako pulled out another piece of equipment. "This is  
also not detectable." It appeared to be an earring.  
  
Serenity frowned, "I haven't pierced my ears," she said and  
Minako shrugged.  
  
"I suggest you take care of that then. This emits a signal  
only detectable by us. We'll know where you are at all times and vice  
versa. We'll start practicing with it tomorrow. After you pierce your  
ears."  
  
*Alpha Laboratory, Alpha One Enclave*  
  
Kalkia watched as Endymion and Jonathan sparred, her eyes  
bright with delight. This was the culmination of all her work, a  
perfect Project Alpha. He was an outstanding specimen, especially from  
a scientific point of view.  
  
He was even more outstanding from the physical view.  
  
Next to Kalkia, Rose shifted, stifling a groan. It had been  
nearly a day and yet her body still hadn't completely healed. Kunzite  
had not been kidding when he said that she would pay for that little  
incident. He had kept her locked up in his chambers for six days  
that had felt like six eternities. He had finally finished torturing  
her yesterday and allowed her to leave. Rose had advanced healing,  
like most modified humans, but even that wonderful system was unable  
to completely fix everything in so little time.  
  
"Why do you not heal yourself," Endymion had asked when she  
had finally returned to her quarters. He was helping her to her bed  
as gently as possible, her body one large wound.  
  
"There are certain abilities of mine that I hide from Alpha,  
ever since I first came into their service," Rose had replied, biting  
her lip to stop her scream of pain. After a few harsh breaths, she  
continued. "If Alpha were to find out about these abilities, I would  
be called upon to do more than they already expect of me. I don't want  
that and so I hide them."  
  
Shifting again, Rose tried to find a position on the couch  
that wouldn't irritate her wounds, to no avail. Fed up, she decided to  
just stand.  
  
Kalkia looked at her in annoyance. "You shouldn't be here,"  
she finally said. "You should be in bed and sleeping. You're only  
making it worse." She glanced over at her friend for a brief instant  
before turning back to the fight. She noticed something and sighed.  
"Jon, he's favoring his left side."  
  
Endymion blinked, "No, I'm not." His insistence was almost  
childish. They were slowly getting his mental and emotional ages up,  
but it was taking time. He still said things like he was a sixteen  
year old boy in a twenty-four year old's body.  
  
Jon made an attack that would leave a large and painful bruise  
if not taken care of. "Thanks, Kaya," he said and they continued to  
spar.  
  
Kalkia returned her attention to the former topic. "I'm serious,  
Rose. Go back to bed. Jon and I can handle this."  
  
Rose shook her head stubbornly. "I'll be fine, Kalkia." She  
glanced back at the fight and noticed what Kalkia had, a moment ago.  
Knowing that it was her pain that was being broadcasted to Endymion,  
she added another mental layer to her shield. She hoped it would  
help.  
  
After about the fourth whack to Endymion's left side, Kayla  
stood. "Take a break boys," she said and then pulled Rose towards the  
door. "We'll be back." She was going to take care of her friend then  
and there. Jonathon watched them go as he got a drink of water and  
shook his head.  
  
"Heal yourself quickly, Endymion, we're not going to be given  
much of a break. Kaya is a slave-driver when she puts her mind to it."  
  
Glowing golden, Endymion healed all his injuries quickly. "You  
called the doctor something that would not be considered very polite.  
And yet you obviously hold great regard for Kalkia. Why the  
inconsistency?"  
  
Jonathon blinked at the suddenness of the question and ran a  
hand through his dark hair. He thought about the answer to that  
question for a long moment before looking down at Endymion, (the man  
was, after all, six and a half feet tall, abnormal even for the  
current genetics). "I don't mean it in a bad way," he finally said,  
"I'm not being very inconsistent. Kalkia as a bit of temper and a hard  
streak, its part of who she is. She's very temperamental but I still  
care about her a great deal."  
  
Endymion tilted his head to the side in confusion. Endymion's  
next statement seemed to come out of the blue. "Do all humans love  
someone that is difficult to handle?"  
  
Jonathon burst out laughing, "Hell no," he said. It was  
obvious that he wasn't laughing at the other man, just that the  
thought was funny. "No, not everyone in the world is as difficult to  
handle as Kalkia. Most relationships will find a balance, something  
that you're comfortable with. Women are just difficult to handle on a  
regular basis, and any man who tries to, is a fool. You can't control  
a woman, Endymion, so don't even think about trying to. Nature made  
them incredibly emotional and moody but Nature also gave them a great  
capacity to love." He looked over at the door and his expression  
changed to one of thoughtfulness as he obviously thought about his  
lover. He turned his head to the side, "You don't choose who you love,  
Endymion. Love controls you, not the other way around."  
  
Pausing for a moment, Endymion replied, "I have not chosen  
who I will love. Dr. Nakazaki has already informed me that it will be  
Omega. But this is not a matter of love, because I have no feelings  
for this person who I have not met. Both doctors have told me that  
physically and mentally, all attraction is for Omega. But these are  
biological phenomenon, not something as abstract as love."  
  
Scratching his head, Jonathan looked perplexed for a moment.  
Shaking his head, he handed the padded staff back to Endymion. "Let's  
get back to sparring, shall we? With all this philosophy, we'll be  
standing here until the end of the world and we'll still be debating  
with no clear answer. And Kaya will have my head if she returns and  
finds us slacking." Lifting one end of the staff, he bowed slightly  
and said, "En garde."  
  
*Alpha Headquarters, Alpha Prime, once known as the United States*  
  
Jedeite heaved a sighed, his green eyes flashing his annoyance  
as he pushed an errant light-blonde lock out of his eyes. "Look, Neph,  
I don't think that those upstarts will hit Alpha Prime's artifact.  
It's just too well-guarded to be their first target."  
  
A tall, muscular man, with wavy brown hair, glared at the  
shorter man. "Fine then, smart guy, where do you think they will hit?"  
  
Jedeite grinned. "I don't have a clue."  
  
His jaw dropped before Nephlite could catch himself. "What do  
you mean?"  
  
Shrugging, Jedeite waved a hand over the map. "I really don't  
have any idea. Any other target is just as probable. I just wanted to  
pull your leg." He chuckled.  
  
Nephlite shook his head, annoyed. "One of these days, Jed--"  
  
His threat went unfinished as the door to the tactical room  
opened, unbidden. In walked Esmeraude, a grin upon her face, her boots  
clicking against the marble floor as she sashayed over to the men.  
Jumping up onto the table, she purred, "Miss me boys?"  
  
Both men rolled their eyes. Yanking Esmeraude's hair, Nephlite  
jerked the irritating woman off their holographic map.  
  
"Isn't there somewhere you should be?" Jedeite muttered as he  
smoothed his hair. "Someone you should be doing?"  
  
Esmeraude narrowed her eyes and fluidly rolled off the table.  
She walked slowly and purposely towards the blonde man who didn't look  
in her direction. She stopped when she was behind him and her hands  
hovered over his shoulders.  
  
"I'm not in the mood to play around, Esmeraude," he said  
coolly. He didn't even flinch as she raked her nails down his back and  
left it in bloody ribbons. The skin closed quickly but it was still  
sore when she touch the healing wounds.  
  
"I'm not in the mood to be ignored," she purred softly in his  
ear, still standing behind him.  
  
"We're not ignoring you, we're following Kunzite's orders,"  
Nephlite said firmly and he locked eyes with the green-haired woman.  
"We really don't have time for games."  
  
Esmeraude pouted, then straightened. "If you guys won't play  
with me, I suppose I shall have to amuse myself with the toy Kunzite  
just gave me." A sick smile spread slowly across her face as a feral  
gleam shone in her eyes. "Kunzite always picks blonde, blue-eyed  
women. I was really hoping for something new. At the very least, he  
should give them to me before he's broken them mentally. All they do  
is sob while I have fun. It's rather aggravating."  
  
Not bothering to turn around, Jedeite replied, "You like it  
anyways, Esmeraude. You like to screw anything and everyone, whether  
they're willing, unwilling, fighting, or compliant, as long as they  
are still alive." He paused. "Well, at least still warm."  
  
She rolled her eyes, "That girl died after I was done with  
her, not before," she snapped.  
  
"Careful, you don't want us to think that you actually had  
standards, do you?" Nephlite said dryly and looked away. "Please go  
and amuse yourself with this new toy."  
  
"But I find Jedeite much more amusing," she began to smile  
again as she lightly stroked the healing scratches. Jedeite closed his  
eyes briefly but continued to ignore her. Normally she went away when  
he didn't pay any attention to her. "I know there is something that  
I'll do to you that you can't resist."  
  
"Esmeraude," Nephlite warned.  
  
"I mean there has to be something," she continued and then  
leaned down to lick one of the scratches. "You have to want something,  
Jedeite, you're only a man. I don't see you filling your bed with dark  
haired girls. In fact, I see your bed rather empty. What happened? Did  
little Rei emasculate you?"  
  
Grabbing her by the throat, Jedeite growled, "It's none of your  
damn business who the hell is in my bed, Esmeraude. The only thing  
that you need to know is that you'll never be in it." Tossing her like  
a sack of potatoes, Jedeite began to glow, his aura an angry shade of  
red.  
  
As Esmeraude hit the floor, Kunzite walked in, his eyes  
widening at the scene. "Well, well, Esmeraude, do I sense a new theme?  
It seems as if every time I see you, you're being thrown around like  
trash. I wonder, is that a hint?"  
  
The green-haired woman glared at the general. Her voice was  
rough from the past and now recent abuse. "If you hadn't stopped me,  
general, I would teach that doctor-bitch that she shouldn't mess with  
the enforcer of Alpha. You'd never had a problem getting her into your  
bed ever again." She quickly departed after that remark, hoping to  
nurse her bruised ego with a good session of rape and torture.  
  
Making his way to the two other men, Kunzite pulled up a chair  
and sat down, the leather of his knee-high boots protesting just a bit.  
Jedeite turned to look at his superior, his aura fading. "Again,  
Kunzite?"  
  
Looking at the smaller man, Kunzite raised an eyebrow. "What  
do you mean, again, Jed?"  
  
Pulling up his own chair, Nephlite looked at the silver-haired  
general. "What he means is, you went back to Rose again, didn't you?"  
  
Kunzite raised an eyebrow, "My my, a lot of gossip goes through  
this office, doesn't it."  
  
"So the answer is yes," Nephlite leaned back and shook his head  
but he didn't continue his thoughts.  
  
Jedeite chuckled quietly. "Something funny, Jed?" Kunzite asked  
idly. The blonde man slowly sat back down in his chair, wincing  
slightly as his back came in contact with the cold leather.  
  
"Esmeraude doesn't understand why you like Rose," he said  
simply. "I find it humorous that she understands so much about sex and  
rape but doesn't understand the allure of your favorite toy."  
  
"And yet you seem surprised that I took her again," Kunzite  
looked at the map as he talked. He seemed to be paying more attention  
to the task at hand then the conversation. It was like Rose was an  
afterthought. However, both men knew him better than that.  
  
"Not surprised. Disappointed," Jedeite corrected.  
  
"She's not Minako," Nephlite pointed out quietly. "She's not  
even blonde."  
  
"And she used to be our friend," Jedeite added. "She's not  
some stranger you can grab off the street. She's someone we knew, who  
knew us, from before the Change."  
  
Kunzite shrugged. "I know that she's not Minako, Neph. And what  
does it matter that she used to be a friend?"  
  
Nephlite sighed heavily and ran a hand through his wavy  
chestnut hair. "If you can't understand it, then we can't explain it."  
He paused, "What about Kalkia? You ignore her just as much as you  
force Rose. Wouldn't she be a better substitute? She'd last longer and  
you wouldn't be as irritable afterwards."  
  
Jedeite rolled his eyes, although the movement was unperceivable  
underneath his messy bangs. "Not every man wants to get their prick in  
Kalkia, Neph, just you."  
  
"I didn't say that." The brunette looked displeased with  
Jedeite's statement. "You know I don't want her like that.  
  
"Yeah yeah, I know," Jedeite looked up. "Anyways, just because  
Kalkia was made for sex doesn't mean that every man wants her. Kunz  
chooses Rose because she reminds him of Minako every time she stands  
up to him. But she always eventually gives up, because he knows how to  
manipulate her. Kalkia, he ignores, because she'd be a willing partner  
and he doesn't want that." He sighed heavily, "We should just get rid  
of her anyway," he muttered.  
  
"We're not going to kill her just to make ourselves feel safer,"  
Nephlite said as if this fight occurred often. "Kalkia has her uses  
other then just sex."  
  
"You've made your point, Neph, let's get back to the topic at  
hand."  
  
Nephlite shrugged, "Very well." He paused and went right back  
to the previous subject. Kunzite. "And he doesn't get that we don't  
agree with his choices because we all know Rose and don't like seeing  
him hurt her," Nephlite echoed. "But Kunzite will continue to ignore  
us and we'll continue to keep our mouths shut, like always."  
  
Kunzite grunted. With a sigh, Jedeite and Nephlite turned back  
to the map and picked the first argument back up.  
  
*Medical Facility, Alpha Laboratory, Alpha One*  
  
Zoicite picked up his dermal regenerator as soon as Kalkia  
entered his office with Rose in tow. "I'd figure you'd be stopping by,  
eventually. What did he do this time?" Rose laid down as gently as  
possible on the examination table.  
  
Irritated, Kalkia waved her arms around. "What didn't he do?  
You might want to start on her back, Zoicite."  
  
Carefully pulling the shirt from Rose's back, Zoicite hissed at  
the sight of the whip marks. "This is quite extensive damage. It's  
going to take me awhile."  
  
Crossing her arms, Kalkia leaned against a wall. "I've got time,  
Zoi."  
  
The lithe scientist shook his head and had Rose strip her shirt  
away. He unclasped her bra and began to work on the lash marks. Kalkia  
watched for a moment and then began to tap her foot irritably against  
the cold metal floor. Zoicite looked up at her and raised an eyebrow.  
  
"I thought you had time."  
  
Kalkia blinked and then actually blushed. "Sorry. Didn't know  
I was doing that."  
  
Zoicite frowned and stopped with the dermal regenerator for a  
minute. "Did you take it this morning? It's been a week, hasn't it?"  
  
"I ran out two weeks ago," she wrinkled her nose. "I'm not  
exactly up to begging Kunzite to give you the next series of formulas.  
I'll be fine. You're not done with Rose yet." Every week, she had to  
play the good doctor in order for Kunzite to reward her with a formula  
capable of helping her to subdue the Urge. At the end of the week, the  
Urge adapted to the medicine and any old formula would lose its  
efficacy. If Kalkia wanted to keep the Urge in check, she had to get  
a new formula every week.  
  
"Kalkia, this is not wise."  
  
"I have Jonathon. I'll survive without the formulas."  
  
"He is only a man, a mortal one at that."  
  
"Don't pretend to care, Zoi. Just shut up and finish Rose's  
back."  
  
Zoicite glared at Kalkia. She merely raised one red eyebrow  
and gave him wide innocent eyes. He returned to his task, grumbling  
something about Antarctica and ungrateful redheads. Inwardly, Kalkia  
gave a huge sigh of relief. She didn't want Zoicite to suspect that  
she was doing alright even without Kunzite giving the next allotment.  
  
During a previous exchange between Rose and Kunzite, Rose had  
managed to break into Kunzite's mind and, for a lack of a better  
term, steal the latest formula, all without his knowledge. They were  
able to take some of the chemicals needed from those that they were  
using for Project Alpha and make her a small stash of the drug.  
Unfortunately, Rose had been a little preoccupied with survival this  
round and hadn't been able to steal the latest formula. The last batch  
was losing its ability to control the Urge and Kalkia was becoming  
more and more distractible, the Urge gaining and stronger and deeper  
hold. They had to get the new batch soon.  
  
Thought theft was one of Rose's abilities that she was hiding,  
just as Kalkia hid many of her own. They both knew that if Alpha found  
that they were more talented than Alpha thought, Alpha just might  
decide to force them to do more than they were already doing. Kalkia  
had the power of telekinesis as well as the ability to control a  
person's actions amongst her hidden repertoire. This would be a great  
asset to Alpha, allowing them to infiltrate the resistance, send  
someone that their members would not suspect, and kill their leaders.  
Esmeraude would be especially excited to have Kalkia at her side  
during an interrogation; she could cause more pain to a prisoner's  
body from the inside out than Esmeraude's more cruder methods.   
  
Rose was hiding one of her more powerful abilities: mental  
control. She could enter another person's mind, take what information  
she wanted, and leave them completely clueless, as she had done with  
Kunzite, or she could absorb their personality, killing them without  
touching their body, while causing them enormous fear and pain. It was  
a hideous way to perish and Rose shuddered at the memory, banishing it  
before she had to relive it. 'Not now.'  
  
Glancing at Rose, Kalkia broadcasted a thought to her friend. 'I  
don't know if Zoicite won't pick up that I'm hiding something with his  
own rudimentary mental powers. Are you sure that your mental shield  
will hold?'  
  
Even though Rose made no outward movement, Kalkia could feel  
her roll her mental eyes. 'Kalkia, you worry too much. That shield is  
like a solid wall; there is no way that Metallia herself could break  
it, despite her own great powers. Do you honestly think that Zoicite  
or any of those in the Inner Circle can if even Metallia couldn't?'  
  
Kalkia fought the urge to kick her friend. 'Cocky, aren't  
you?'  
  
Kalkia could feel Rose smile. 'You could say that. I know the  
strength of my own powers and I'm very cautious. I wouldn't gamble  
with using them, unless I was absolutely sure. So don't worry,' she  
replied before she broke the link.  
  
Zoicite finished with Rose's back and took a step away from  
the table. "Turn over, let's get a look at your chest."  
  
"No," said Rose, her voice slightly muffled, her cheeks pink.  
The man who she had known since childhood was telling her to turn over  
where he would get a good look at her bare chest. Not in this lifetime.  
  
"Oh, get off it, Rose. I'm a doctor for the love of Alpha.  
Most of the time, I don't even register the gender of my patient.  
Besides, you need me to treat the wounds. The last time you refused,  
you ended up back here, a fever spiking around 110 and delirious. I  
don't want you out of it when Project Alpha needs you in your best  
shape."  
  
Blushing even harder now, Rose slowly turned over, the muscles  
protesting the movement after taking such a punishment. Burns  
criss-crossed her stomach, some healing, some still too severe to get  
attention from her overtaxed repair system. Zoicite shook his head,  
irritated. "I'm going to have to tell Kunzite that he can't routinely  
damage one of my best doctors." He looked over at Kalkia. "You're  
built to take this kind of abuse." He let his suggestion hang in the  
air.  
  
"It's so nice that you all are still so worried about my  
precious health," Kalkia snapped. "I'm a redhead. Kunzite hates  
redheads. Besides, I like my sex life the way it is, thank you." She  
ran a hand through her hair and began to re-braid it so she had  
something to do. "Stick to fixing Rose, Zoi. It's what you're good  
at."  
  
The tall man muttered more about Antarctica under his breath.  
"After this, I'll talk to Kunzite about getting the formula. You're  
not doing me or my blood pressure any good when you're in this state."  
  
"I'm touched that you're pretending to care. Really. I am. Fix  
Rose."  
  
Zoicite rolled his eyes and there was silence for a moment  
longer. Kalkia looked down at the ground and suddenly a faint heat  
began to go through the room. It was barely noticeable and Rose's eyes  
widened, and not from the pain of healing. "Kal..." she whispered and  
Zoicite looked at the red head.  
  
"I knew it," he muttered and pulled away from the table. "Rose,  
cover yourself and get off the table." The male doctor was good at  
playing the political games when it came to things like this. He went  
over to a communicator terminal. "Kunzite, I need you in my office now."  
  
Rose paled slightly and got off the table. She quickly dressed  
and went to stand in a corner. Kalkia was glaring at both of them. "If  
you think that I'm going to--"  
  
The light brown haired man's eyes darkened and he looked at  
her coldly. "Get on the table, Kalkia. We're going to fix this now. I  
am tired of paying for your stubbornness. I am tired of it affecting my  
work."  
  
"I am not--"  
  
"You're not being given a choice. Get. On. The. Table." A  
small breeze filled the room before Kunzite materialized on the  
teleportation pad in the room. Teleportation was the fastest way to  
travel, taking mere seconds to go from one place to any other place on  
the globe. Alpha could instantly move entire armies from one  
disturbance to another, if needed.  
  
Kunzite raised an eyebrow at the unhappy Kalkia sitting on the  
table. "You pulled me away from an important meeting because of her?"  
  
Zoicite glared, "It's interfering with everything, Kunzite. I  
need the formula now."  
  
Kalkia didn't look at the silver-haired general. No, she kept  
her gaze firmly on the ground. Kunzite walked closer to her and she  
suddenly locked eyes with him. Her green eyes contained threads of  
silver that were glowing slightly. "I suggest you stay away," she  
managed to say, quietly.  
  
He chuckled, "This is rich. How long as it been since you've  
come this close to losing control?" He paused, thinking about the  
matter. "Come to think about it, you haven't had the drug in what, two  
weeks?"  
  
"Something like." Kalkia closed her eyes and let out a mental  
scream directed only at Rose. 'Why is it that you want to avoid him  
and I can do nothing but want him?'  
  
A rush of mental disgust came through the link. 'All I can say  
is, tastes differ.' She looked at the general who was still looking at  
Kalkia with confusion. 'In our case, it happens to differ greatly.'  
  
Kunzite placed a finger underneath Kalkia's chin, turning her  
face to his own. "How the hell did you manage to last this long  
without losing control?" His eyes narrowed, suspicious. She simply  
should not have been able to last two weeks without losing control a  
lot earlier.  
  
Instantly, Rose began to open her powers, her eyes taking a  
solid dark purple, nearly black, hue, appearing like empty holes in  
place of eyes. She placed a subtle suggestion in the mind of Kunzite  
and Zoicite while giving Kalkia an answer to give to the men.  
  
Pulling away from any contact, Kalkia glared at the general.  
"With all the recent preparations and shit going on with Alpha, I just  
wasn't able to get an adrenaline rush necessary for activation. So I  
haven't needed your 'help' prior to today."  
  
Nodding, Kunzite walked away from the table and turned toward  
Zoicite. Luckily, both men were preoccupied with preparing the formula  
that neither noticed Rose's strange purple-black pupil-less eyes  
return to their normal state. Nor did they notice Kalkia's body sag  
with relief.  
  
Several minutes later, Kunzite came back with a syringe. It was  
filled with a pale blue liquid and he reached out to grab Kalkia's  
wrist. She pulled away, "Do you really want to have the Urge raged  
through you, Kunzy?" she reached for the needle.  
  
He grabbed her wrist almost painfully. "You force it through  
me and I'll lock you up in a room by yourself so fast you won't have  
time to blink. Give me your arm."  
  
"I see you're not threatening to kill me anymore."  
  
"That can change."  
  
"It won't be any time soon.  
  
"Give me your arm, Kalkia."  
  
Kalkia clenched her jaw and gave it to him. He injected her  
harshly and slowly depressed the injection wand through her. She was  
going to have a bruise there later. The silver in her eyes began to  
fade away and her breathing sped up. She closed her eyes and laid down  
on the table as a series of convulsions went through her.  
  
Kunzite watched impassively and handed the needle back to  
Zoicite. Kalkia finally calmed down enough to open her eyes and look  
at him. "You son of a bitch," she hissed.  
  
He chuckled, "It will last twenty-four hours. When it runs out,  
you will report to me and I will deliver the next dose. I'm tired of  
your defiance in this."  
  
He looked over at Rose for a moment and raised an eyebrow. "Why  
is she here?"  
  
"Making sure I didn't fuck Jon in the middle of the practice  
room," Kalkia said quickly. Kunzite would not be pleased if he knew  
that Rose had refused treatment until now.  
  
Kunzite rolled his eyes. "We have what we believe to be the  
first target of Omega. You and Alpha will be briefed tomorrow  
morning."  
  
"We'll be there."  
  
"Just you and Alpha, Kalkia." Kunzite turned to go. "Rose will  
remain here." He walked over to Rose, glancing the bruises up and down  
her face. "You know, you really should be in bed," he said softly.  
  
Zoicite and Kalkia shot Kunzite surprised looks. The highest  
general of Alpha, the perpetrator of vast atrocities, was actually  
sounding...almost sorry for pain he had caused.  
  
But Rose wasn't at all surprised. Kunzite did have his moments  
when his old self came through, the caring friend she had once known.  
Of course, it was very rare, but they did show up now and again.  
That's what made it so hard to hate him completely. "I have work to  
do, General, you know that."  
  
Studying her with his pale green eyes, Kunzite looked very  
serious. Rose just stood there, meeting his look. After awhile, he  
nodded and stepped back onto the pad. With a whoosh of energy, he  
dematerialized.  
  
Kalkia slowly got off the table. She went over to Zoicite and  
slapped him hard across the face. "I. Hate. You." She went to the  
other side of the room and slid to the floor. "Finish up with Rose and  
then we're leaving."  
  
Zoicite looked stunned for a moment as a bright red welt  
appeared on his cheek. "I could have you killed for that," he said as  
he helped Rose back onto the table.  
  
"Perhaps," Kalkia didn't even look at him. For a moment it  
looked as if she might cry. She didn't. Kalkia didn't even cry in  
front of Jonathon, let alone Rose and Zoicite. Not after what had  
happened. "Death is only the beginning," she whispered as she hugged  
her knees. "Besides, Nephlite won't let you kill me. He still has too  
many morals when it comes to me."  
  
Rose looked at her friend sadly and knew exactly what her  
friend was reliving. Kalkia was sixteen when she had been taken for  
the experiment. She was incredibly young and tenderhearted, not the  
abrasive woman she was now. Kalkia hadn't been naive. No, she had  
never been that, but she had been foolish.   
  
She had thought that the four young men who had schooled with  
her were like her brothers. They were her closest friends, along with  
Rose, and she spent every moment out of her lessons with them. She  
always told them her innermost feelings, how she disagreed with Alpha  
and how she hated what they were doing.  
  
But then their tight-knit group was pulled apart. The four men,  
Kalkia's heart-brothers, pledged their allegiance to Metallia. They  
were now a part of the Inner Circle. Metallia had told them about  
Project Alpha, how she wanted the best and brightest. And that would  
include Kalkia. So, as the first demonstration of their loyalty, they  
had to get Kalkia into the service of Alpha.  
  
Brothers should never have allowed it to happen. But they did.  
Nephrite had told her that it was just a routine health inspection and  
she had believed him.  
  
She had believed him all the way up until the point he injected  
her with the anesthesia.  
  
When she had woken up, she was in a dark room filled with images,  
some too horrifying for her to comprehend. All of the images had been  
sexual in nature but not all of them grotesque. No, there were scenes  
depicting gentleness and the softer side of sex as well as the  
forceful side.  
  
Then came the first man and all her control was lost. She didn't  
even realize what she had been doing until the lights had come on and  
she was brought out.  
  
She never knew how long she had been spent isolated. She always  
prayed that her brothers would come and tell her it was alright. She  
always thought that they were doing something to save her.  
  
She saw Jedeite first and went to hug him, seeking comfort and  
reassurance. He pushed her away and pleaded other business.  
  
Kunzite just looked at her coldly and said to get out of his  
sight.  
  
Zoicite told her that she needed a drugs to control it. He  
hadn't even looked into her eyes.  
  
Nephlite had backhanded her and said that she was a thing, a  
monster, disgusting. He said he never wanted to look at her again.  
  
That was the last night she cried.  
  
Fighting back tears, Rose wrapped her mental arms around  
Kalkia, trying to offer her friend as much comfort as possible. Rose  
always wanted to remove Kalkia's memory of the event, take away the  
hurt, but even her mental powers could not erase the damage. It was  
just too extensive. Kalkia had felt betrayed, by the very people she  
had thought were going to protect her. After that, Kalkia changed,  
lost her softness, her heart. She no longer argued against Alpha but  
instead accepted all their rules, her soul empty.  
  
After they had altered Kalkia, the generals had been racked  
with guilt, despite the ruthlessness that Metallia had brought out  
with the genetic alteration. She had been a sister to them and they  
loved her. Nephlite had even been close to stopping it and getting her  
out. He didn't, however, and let them continue with the experiment.   
  
But forcing her to become a slave to the Urge, to force her  
into the service of that which she hated, hurt them. So they made  
themselves think of Kalkia as below regard, no longer the person they  
once knew. They convinced themselves so well of this fact that they  
no longer thought of her as human, just a tool for the cause. Most of  
the time, they could ignore her. The other three were all for killing  
her, now that her usefulness was over. But Nephlite, the person Kalkia  
had been closest to, had vetoed the idea. He had suggested that she  
might still be useful, just in case something happened to Alpha and  
they needed to make a new one. In reality, however, Rose knew that  
Nephlite still felt terribly about the whole thing, that he wanted to  
erase what he had done.  
  
But Kalkia didn't believe Rose. If Rose tried to bring it up,  
she just shook her head and said that she didn't care. But she did;  
deep down inside, something in Kalkia was still hurting, even if she  
lied to herself and convinced herself otherwise. It was harder for  
Kalkia to heal after the trauma, because coupled with the hurt was the  
guilt. Rose had confronted Kunzite when Kalkia had returned to her  
quarters after the experiment. She didn't understand why they would do  
something like this to their friend. That was when Kunzite raped her.  
She always blamed herself even though Rose had tried to convince her  
otherwise. The only thing Rose could do was offer as much comfort as  
Kalkia would be willing to take.  
  
Kalkia whispered something very soft and Zoicite looked at her  
sharply. He had missed the words but he knew that Rose had heard them.  
  
"Stay out of my head. Rose, just stay out."  
  
*Alpha Headquarters, Alpha Prime*  
  
Endymion felt an odd tickle in his insides as he  
re-materialized in the headquarters of Alpha. Kalkia stood by his  
side, her face neutral. Of course, this wasn't the first time that she  
had been teleported. But it was Endymion's first time and it was a  
very novel experience. He couldn't help feeling curious about all the  
new things that he was learning. Of course, today, he was going to  
meet the four generals, members of the Inner Circle of Alpha. They  
were the most powerful people on the planet, except for Metallia  
herself. They instilled fear and hatred in even Kalkia, the most  
non-emotional person he had met thus far.  
  
"Come on, Endymion," Kalkia said as she began walking away.  
They headed towards the meeting room in silence. Endymion peered into  
her mind as unobtrusively as possible. Kalkia had no idea, since  
Endymion had learned to mask his entrances from his link with Rose. He  
could sense the calm surface of her thoughts, knowing that she  
regarded this as a normal thing for her to be doing. But underneath,  
deep in her psyche, he could sense something, a sense of dread, of  
fear. But it was so deep that he doubted that Kalkia herself was aware  
of its presence.  
  
"When you meet the generals, make sure to stay quiet. I'll do  
all the talking. Only speak when they ask you a question. They don't  
trust you and will try to hurt you if you attract their anger." Kalkia  
rounded the corner, her steps completely business-like. "Rose wanted  
me to take care of you, but I'm not going to get myself into the line  
of fire if you screw up, understand?"  
  
Endymion gently touched her elbow and she paused, "I won't mess  
up," he said firmly. She looked at him and nodded curtly.  
  
"Good. I'd hate to have to make another one. You're too goddamn  
beautiful to waste." She continued down the hall and then paused. She  
looked as if she was about to say something but stopped and shook her  
head.  
  
"Don't worry," he said quickly. "I know that you like to be a  
bitch."  
  
She actually laughed and hit the acceptance button on the side  
of the door. The doors opened and they walked in. Sitting at a long  
table were the four generals, decked in semi-formal dress uniforms.  
Kalkia had dressed up slightly for the occasion as well, but her  
uniform had an abnormally long slit in the thigh. Endymion knew, just  
from what he had learned from Rose's mind, that Kayla liked to tease  
these four men.  
  
There was a moment of silence before Kunzite leaned back in his  
chair. "Has he fulfilled all the requirements?"  
  
"Yes. He excelled beyond our wildest expectations."  
  
"In everything?" Jedeite raised a blonde eyebrow and Kalkia  
turned to him. Slowly she smiled and tilted her head to one side  
coyly.  
  
"I don't kiss and tell, Jedeite, you know that."  
  
Nephrite shot his old friend a look before looking back at  
Kalkia. The blonde man narrowed his eyes angrily. "How dare you  
imply--"  
  
"I implied nothing. It's not my fault you're frustrated."  
Kalkia looked back at Kunzite, "We're here for a briefing, not to see  
who can insult who the quickest."  
  
"Afraid you'll lose?" Kunzite asked idly.  
  
"Afraid I'll win?" she countered. At this point she was very  
pleased with Endymion. He hadn't said anything yet and she was  
enjoying herself. Kalkia took a small step towards Kunzite and leaned  
over the table. "Afraid I'll top you?"  
  
Kunzite's eyes narrowed. Grabbing her right hand, he bared her  
wrist. He squeezed it lightly and instantly, Kalkia's body responded.  
She could feel the now familiar heat rush through her body and she  
gasped. Instantly, every man in the room knew that Kalkia was willing.  
Kunzite slid a hand down her side, watching as she shuddered with  
pleasure. "Never forget who's in charge, Dr. Skye. No one tops me," he  
said as he grasped her breast with his free hand, squeezing it  
painfully. She whimpered and pressed closer, but Kunzite shoved her  
away, a look of disgust on his face.  
  
Kalkia stayed exactly where she was. She didn't move. "Good  
enough to touch but not good enough to fuck?" she said in a slightly  
breathy tone. He hadn't turned it off and she didn't feel like doing  
it herself. Nephrite almost stood up and protested, but Jedeite held  
him back. They both knew that Kalkia never knew when to stop with  
Kunzite, and they both knew that someday it would get her killed.  
  
"Dr. Skye--"  
  
"Kalkia," she interrupted, "You called me by my name once, you  
can do it again," her eyes began to glow with the silver threads. "Now  
either you will turn this off or I will roll it through you and you'll  
spoil your clothes."  
  
Kunzite didn't move, he just watched her. "Turn it off, Kalkia."  
  
She clenched her jaw and held out her left wrist. "Do it for me.  
You know you want to."  
  
"Kalkia, just turn it off," Nephrite said urgently. Even he was  
starting to get uncomfortable. The man was practically her brother,  
once upon a time. Brothers don't get hard off of their sisters.  
"You're not going to win anything by this show."  
  
"Kunzite knows what I want." Her long auburn hair fell to one  
side, baring the flesh of her neck. "I know what he wants."  
  
"We have a mission, Dr. Skye," Zoicite interrupted her but she  
kept her eyes locked on Kunzite.  
  
Kunzite reached out to take her wrist and held his hand over  
it for a moment. "Go ahead. I'm just a dog right? The best bitch  
around. An animal. Would that make you into bestiality if you touched  
me?"  
  
His aura flared up and Kunzite savagely crushed Kalkia's wrist.  
She made no expression, even as his power broke bones. She merely  
looked at him, challenging him. His power lashed out, crashing into  
her body, sending her to smash into the wall. He strode up to her  
fallen form and barely resisted the urge to finish the job. After a  
moment, Kalkia looked up at him, not bothering to wipe the blood that  
dripped down her face. She stood, painfully, to meet Kunzite's gaze.  
  
"Don't assume you know anything about me, doctor. All you know  
are your urges, your lust. Fucking is what you do best and don't think  
for a second that any of us have forgotten that. If you continue to  
push us, you'll be terminated." Having said that, Kunzite lashed out  
again with his power before cooling his aura. He pushed his fingers  
against the gash he had made in her side, enjoying that she finally  
showed a sign of pain in her face. "You are only a tool. Something  
easily discarded. Never forget that."  
  
"Kunzite." This time Nephrite did stand and meet his General's  
eyes. "Leave her alone. You're wasting too much energy disciplining  
her. You're giving her exactly what she wants."  
  
Kalkia didn't say anything. She did wince when he touched her  
side again, but there was a small smile on her face. Endymion politely  
coughed. "Perhaps we should continue with the briefing now that blood  
has been spilt?"  
  
Kunzite looked at the dark haired man and remembered that he  
still had a duty to fulfill. Not sparing a glance at Kalkia, he strode  
back to his seat and waved a bloody glove in Zoicite's direction.  
"Zoi, start the presentation."  
  
Nodding, Zoicite activated the holographic monitor on the  
table. "This, Project Alpha, is a topological map of Alpha Three  
Enclave. There will be a public showing of various Alpha artifacts.  
This will include a showing of the fabled Crimson Flame, one of the  
seven artifacts of legend. The old prophetess mentioned the seven  
artifacts, saying that they would bring about Omega. The resistance  
will need to gain possession of all seven before they can do anything.  
Alpha has all of them, scattered around Earth, hidden in high security  
areas. We of the Inner Circle decided that we needed to flush out the  
rebels and in order to do that, we had to present them with a tasty  
enough target. This is Crimson Flame," Zoicite hit a button, changing  
the image, "and it will be presented at a black tie function at the  
museum in the enclave. You, the head doctors, and some of our forces  
will be there, to capture any and all resistance members. They are not  
to gain possession of the Crimson Flame."  
  
Endymion nodded and studied the readouts for a brief instant.  
"If all of you show up to the party then it's going to make them  
realize that something isn't right," he pointed out.  
  
"That's why it will be Kalkia, you, Rose and Jedeite at the  
party," Nephrite said in his quiet and calm voice.  
  
"Why Jedeite?" Kalkia looked at the blonde with a faint look of  
surprise.  
  
"Why, to watch our dear little Rose," Jedeite said with a grin.  
  
"Of course," Kalkia said with a hint of sarcasm. "How foolish of  
me not to realize this."  
  
"How foolish indeed," Kunzite murmured. Nephrite put a hand on  
his shoulder, willing him not to bait Kalkia anymore. Guilt ate at him  
for letting her be pushed around but he shoved it back. He had to  
remind himself several times that she was just an animal seeking after  
her own pleasure. Animals didn't have feelings and you didn't feel  
sorry for them.  
  
'Really?' Nephlite jerked in surprise, the mental voice of  
Rose surprising him. None of the other occupants made any indication  
that they noticed, all paying attention to Zoicite's presentation.  
Only Endymion felt his friend's connection with Nephlite and smiled  
secretly.  
  
'Rose? Why are you contacting me?' Nephlite was confused. Rose  
usually didn't try to contact any of them mentally, knowing that she  
was too hurt by their betrayal to interact with them other than what  
was required.  
  
She sighed. 'Oh Nephlite, Kalkia isn't like that and you know  
it. She feels just like I do. Why don't you make Kunzite stop hurting  
her?'  
  
Glancing sideways at his superior, Nephlite gave a mental  
snort. 'You try reasoning with him, Ro. It's next to impossible,  
especially when Kalkia is deliberately baiting him.' Her frown was  
very evident over their link. 'Stop trying to make me feel badly for  
Skye, Ro. It won't work.' He broke their link, getting the faint  
aftertaste of her disappointment. Blocking his mind, he turned back to  
the briefing.  
  
Endymion had heard the murmur of the brief exchange and then  
looked over to see that Kalkia's face was devoid of any expression as  
she listened. Every once in a while she would look over at Kunzite  
and then back at the presentation. Endymion did not have to  
concentrate on it the way that normal people would have, or the way  
that Kalkia had to. He was able to pay attention to other things as  
well.  
  
He saw Nephlite look at her for an instant and he suddenly  
wanted to scream. All of the men in this room cared for the girls they  
allowed to be hurt time and time again. Because of what Rose had done  
to him, he felt offended by it. He felt offended that Kalkia even  
wanted Kunzite, wanted him to her hurt her, wanted a reaction. He felt  
even more anger when he realized that a part of her--  
  
A mental barrier slammed into him. 'I don't even like Rose in  
my head. You, stay the hell out.'  
  
'This is wrong.'  
  
'It's life. Accept it and move on. Pay attention to the  
lecture. You're not supposed to worry about right or wrong. Let me  
create some entertainment and everyone will be happy. Besides, once  
this is over, I'll be dead and no one will mourn me except for my  
lover. Stay. Out.' She built another mental wall over her thoughts,  
effectively shutting Endymion out.  
  
Frowning, Endymion weighed his options. He could easily tear  
away that mental wall and force Kalkia to continue the conversation.  
But that would be an intrusion and he could feel Rose in the back of  
his mind already frowning at him. Of course, he could secretly, just  
as Rose could, tamper with her mind and change her thinking,  
forcefully.  
  
'But that's wrong, Endymion.'  
  
'Doctor, she wants to die. Does that not bother you?'  
  
He could feel her sorrow. 'Of course it does, Endy. I love  
Kalkia like a sister and I would feel her loss tremendously. But I can  
understand her pain and her desire for it all to end. I completely  
agree with her. So who am I to stop her?'  
  
'I wonder why do you not do more. You can easily alter the  
minds of everyone in Alpha, making them change their ways.'  
  
Rose replied, 'I can't do that, Endymion. It would work so  
long as I kept my control over them. Forcing them would not be a  
solution, just as it isn't a solution for either Kalkia or myself in  
regard to death.' He could feel her grow tired, a side-effect of her  
rapid healing. 'Leave Kalkia alone, Endy. Please.' He could feel her  
close the link. He sighed. She was one of the few that he could not  
defeat in a game of mental war. So he did as he was told and tuned  
back to the mission briefing.  
  
"This is one of the lesser artifacts," Zoicite was finishing,  
"It will bring them the least amount of Power which is why we're using  
it. We will have guards stationed of course but if Omega is there, we  
want her killed. Stopping her is the only next acceptable solution."  
  
"Do we know what she looks like yet?" Kalkia asked calmly.  
  
"No," Nephrite said when no one looked ready to answer her.  
  
She made a sound that was a cross between a laugh and snort.  
"Good thing that Endy comes prepared," she muttered.  
  
Ignoring her, Kunzite stood, looking at Alpha. "Your priority  
is clear. Destruction of Omega at all costs. Be prepared to leave in  
six hours. Dismissed."  
  
Nodding, Kalkia moved towards the exit, her side still  
bleeding, although not as profusely as before. However, Endymion did  
not join her, a frown on his face.  
  
"You have a question, Alpha," asked Jedeite. He was curious  
about this odd creature.  
  
"At all costs. Is anyone expendable?" He looked at the four  
generals, pausing just briefly on Kunzite.  
  
Jedeite looked surprised then looked to Kunzite. The others  
followed suit. Raising a flaxen brow, Kunzite replied, "Everyone, even  
yourself, Alpha. Our goal is the destruction of Omega and we'll do  
anything to make that happen."  
  
Endymion nodded. "Just wanted to be clear." He headed toward  
the door and exited, leaving Kalkia to follow his footsteps in  
confusion at his strange behavior.  
  
  
Author Notes:  
  
KC: Allo all! I hope that you enjoyed this chapter and forgive the  
massive delays in getting it out. It seems that college professors  
have no sense of what is really important. I mean, they wanted us to  
take these stupid finals and not write. I know, I know...how dare they  
even suggest that, yet they did. I hope you liked!  
RS: Ne ne, new website! Thanks Bejjies-itoko-sama, Ekat, and piepie!  
You guys are awesome! Make sure to change any bookmarks, etc. Sorry  
again about the long wait 


	4. Chapter Three

*Disclaimer: Sephiroth is appearing without the permission of Square  
Soft or whatever company it is that owns him. We're just borrowing him  
and the characters of Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon. They will be  
returned to their appropriate owners, unharmed. =D At least, we hope  
so. *turns to see Kayla running off with Sephiroth* KAY-CHAN YOU  
CAN'T KEEP HIM! *runs after Kayla*  
  
Alpha's Omega  
Chapter Three  
By: Kayla Chavi and The Rose Society  
Rating: R  
Email: kaylachavi@hotmail.com  
EtrlSlrMn@aol.com  
http://www.envy.nu/kaylachavi/index.htm  
http://www.wishing-blue.net/kii/  
  
*Alpha Three Enclave*  
  
Rose sat back on the comfortable seats of the vehicle, her  
hands nervously tugging at the rather uncomfortable dress. Most of  
her wounds had healed, which left her skin once again flawless.  
It contrasted nicely with the deep wine-red of her dress. Kalkia had  
chosen it for her. It had a high collar that covered the one bruise  
that had not yet fully healed. If it hadn't been for that bruise,  
Kalkia would have forced her into something even more revealing. The  
dress was tight across her chest with artful black buttons that went  
down at an angle. It had been done in an ancient style from Alpha  
Ten, the area formerly called China, so the fabric was silk with  
black silk embroidery. The skirt was long, going to her ankles, but  
had two long slits on either side. Kalkia had pushed for slits to the  
hips, but Rose was not that daring. No, she insisted that her slits  
only went to her mid-thighs. The difference was minute, but it helped  
to soothe her mind to know that there was at least a difference.  
  
Even then, she felt naked and kept fiddling with the collar.  
She looked across at Kalkia, who was relaxed and calm. Then again,  
Kalkia had a wonderful body and nothing to be worried about. She  
could stand in the middle of a room full of people, naked, and be  
calm. Rose, on the other hand, didn't even like her uniform at times.  
  
"Oh stop that," Kalkia snapped. She pulled Rose's hand away  
from her collar. "You have a wonderful body and you should show it  
more often. That dress looks great and you know it."  
  
"But--" Rose began to protest.  
  
Jedeite wriggled his eyebrows and grinned. "She's right,  
Rosebud. You look fine so stop messing with the dress." He looked at  
both the women and tugged at the lapels of his tuxedo. Some fashions  
never died, even after hundreds of years. "I'm going to be the envy  
of every man at the occasion, with two luscious women on my arms," he  
said, mockingly.  
  
Kalkia raised an eyebrow and jabbed her elbow roughly into  
his ribs. She was sitting next to him and wasn't pleased with his  
statement. "Correction, Jed," she said coolly. "You'll have one girl.  
Rose is your escort for the evening, you're here to watch her,  
remember?" Her eyes became almost silver-fire as her anger grew. She  
knew that he didn't want to touch her in the least, so she was going  
to punish him for reminding her. "Endymion will be with me until I  
find another date. If we cluster then it's easier to kill us. They  
don't know what Endymion is, but there are sure a hell of a lot of  
people that want to kill you."  
  
"And you," Jedite pointed out.  
  
Kalkia laughed, "No one wants to kill me, Jed. Just screw me."  
  
The blonde clenched his jaw and looked over at Rose. He  
ignored Kalkia's barb. "Remember, Rosebud. Don't do anything stupid  
tonight. I'd hate to get you in trouble."  
  
Rose just gave him a wide-eyed surprised look and he  
chuckled. Endymion sat there looking more nervous about the tuxedo  
then the mission. He kept fussing with his bow tie. Kalkia saw and  
shook her head. She quickly moved and helped him get it straight. The  
action was almost sisterly.  
  
Jedeite raised an eyebrow and looked at her. "I can do things  
without sex you know," she whispered when she felt his eyes on her.  
  
Her dress was an extremely dark green that looked almost  
black. It shimmered with silver highlights when she moved and made  
her already pale skin even more translucent. The dress itself was  
strapless and very low cut. It had a medieval type bodice in black  
leather that purposely drew attention to her cleavage. The skirt of  
the dress was floor-length, slit on both sides. The slits went all  
the way up her legs, past her hips and to the bodice. It was obvious  
that her underwear was either non-existent or very high cut and a  
thong. Kalkia didn't play games when it came to her wardrobe. Around  
her throat was a beautiful yet simple obsidian pendant in the shape  
of a dragon. Her hair was in such an elaborate fashion, that when  
Endymion looked at her he had to remember that all that hair was  
hers. There were so many twists and braids that he got lost looking  
for where one began and the next ended.  
  
He looked at her for a long moment and then kissed her hand  
like a gentlemen would. "Would Jon hurt me if I asked where your  
weapons were?" he teased and she laughed quietly, glad to end the  
almost self-pitying atmosphere of earlier.  
  
"Jon's not here," Kalkia pointed out with a smile. Her eyes  
were bright and almost shining. She was excited to be doing something  
other than scientific work.  
  
"Then I can ask?" he gave her a smile that could have past  
for heartmelting. He and Jon had been working hard on his flirting  
skills.  
  
"Go ahead," Kalkia leaned back in the seat. The entire effect  
of just sitting there, dressed as she was, made her seem dangerous.  
Jedeite caught himself staring for a moment but looked away sharply.  
  
"Kalkia doesn't need weapons," he muttered.  
  
"Can I guess?" Endymion asked instead and lifted an eyebrow.  
He then delicately looked her over. He found three knives and a small  
rod that he knew elongated into a staff that had the ability to cut  
off limbs. Even Kunzite was nervous when she had the staff with her.  
"Three knives, a gun, and your staff."  
  
Kalkia smiled, "Good boy," she teased. "I'll have to tell Jon  
what a good job he did teaching you." She then looked smug, "But you  
missed the gun in my hair."  
  
Rose laughed at the stunned expression on Endymion's face. He  
turned his blue eyes to her, regarding her quietly. Sobering, Rose  
cut him off from her mind, not wanting to give him any sort of hint.  
He looked at her long hair. Her top layer of hair was pulled back into  
a ponytail, the long strands curled into old fashioned spring curls. A  
few tendrils were left free and framed her face. The rest of her  
midnight tresses lay against her back, straight and free, unusual for  
her. He knew that Rose hated having her hair loose, ever since what  
had happened.  
  
"No, nothing in your hair, I believe." Rose nodded and  
Endymion continued on his weapons search. "You have a spine sheath  
with a sword and a gun strapped to each of your thighs. I think you  
have two knives as well, strapped to your shins." Nodding, Rose smiled  
at Endymion, pleased.  
  
Kalkia smiled and idly played with the dragon at her throat.  
Endymion watched her for a moment. "I have to know, where's the  
staff?" he asked.  
  
"You guessed!"  
  
"You always have it with you," he pointed out. Kalkia laughed  
and shook her head but she didn't answer him.  
  
"If we're done with all the games, I believe we're here,"  
Jedeite said, annoyed. The door to the vehicle opened and he and  
Endymion got out. The blonde general helped Rose out of the car but  
ignored Kalkia. However, Endymion anticipated this and waited  
politely to help her out.  
  
The night air was cool and clear for they were near one of the  
upper levels of the enclave. Kalkia shivered slightly and Endymion  
looked surprised. "I'm always cold," she whispered a little  
sorrowfully. Jedeite led them into the museum with Rose on his arm.  
The two got through security easily but the guard stopped Kalkia.  
  
"You can't bring your gun in here. Only Military is allowed."  
  
Kalkia raised an eyebrow. Endymion released her arm easily and  
let her walk up to the guard. Rose stood, just inside the entrance,  
looking at Jedeite in confusion. Jedeite obviously wasn't going to  
help the redhead. "Are you telling me, you have the balls to not let  
me in?" she asked softly. The guard swallowed nervously and nodded  
slowly. "Very well."  
  
"Don't kill the guard," Jedeite warned. "He's just doing his  
job."  
  
"So am I," Kalkia lifted her leg up and rested it against a  
nearby chair. Her slits allowed the dress to fall away from her leg as  
she did so. She began to unstrap something that had remained hidden  
along her inner thigh.   
  
The guard's eyes were locked nervously to her leg as she  
removed the holster almost painfully slow. She handed him the holster  
and he took it with another swallow. He was about to put it away when  
Kalkia put a knife to his throat.  
  
"Who gave you those orders?" she asked softly.  
  
"G-general K-Kunzite," he stuttered.  
  
"What were his orders?"  
  
"Not to let you bring a gun into the party." The man was  
sweating now.  
  
"Me specifically?"  
  
"Y-yes."  
  
"I see." She pushed him back and let him fall to the ground.  
"Jedeite, I'm going to leave. Have fun with tonight's escapades  
without me," she said simply.  
  
"You'll stay."  
  
"Then I get my gun. I'm not going to play shitty games with  
Kunzite tonight."  
  
"You don't need your gun for tonight."  
  
"That's not the point. I feel naked without one. Even I am  
never naked in a room full of people." She looked at him coldly. She  
was clearly pissed.  
  
Jedeite slowly nodded. Endymion took Kalkia's arm again and  
they walked in. It amazed him that Alpha was able to function with all  
the petty games that the Inner Circle played. He knew that they  
probably weren't as bad with other people, and that Alpha was the  
entire world and it was not as intimate as it was here. Still, he was  
amazed.  
  
Rose placed a hand on Kalkia's arm, but the woman just  
shrugged it off. Shaking her head, Rose knew that Kalkia would  
continue to be upset for a while and it would be better if she did not  
bother her at the moment. She tossed an annoyed look at Jedeite,  
knowing that they had done this on purpose, to hurt Kalkia all the  
more. But the general next to her merely shrugged and led Rose into  
the ballroom.  
  
'Why, Jed? Why do you guys continue to be so mean to her?'  
  
'Because, Rosebud.' Jedeite could feel Rose's irritation  
through their link. But he wasn't at all sorry. Kalkia deserved it;  
she was pushing them too far lately. Even tonight, she had  
deliberately picked a dress for Rose that would remind Jedeite of  
painful memories.  
  
'Oh, I'm sorry, I--'  
  
He cut her off. 'Don't worry about it, Rosebud. I'm not mad at  
you.' He closed the link after sending her a wave of reassurance. He  
wasn't mad at her, but he was mad at Kalkia. She knew that Rose  
reminded him too much of Rei and that picking a dress in that color  
that he had always loved to see Rei in...it was too much.  
  
Rose shrank on his arm, clearly unhappy. Kalkia was still  
stinging from being stopped at the door and Jedeite was sad and hurt  
because she reminded him of Rei. Both of her friends were unhappy and  
that made her unhappy.  
  
With Rose unhappy, Endymion was starting to get annoyed once  
more. "Smile," Kalkia whispered softly as they were led to the main  
ballroom where the showing was being held. "It could be worse."  
  
"How?"  
  
"The guard could be dead," she pointed out.  
  
Endymion smiled in amusement. The doormen, seeing the party  
approach, opened the door to the ballroom. Instantly, light engulfed  
the four, and the light sound of stringed instruments filled the air.  
Beside him, Endymion could hear Rose gasp.  
  
Jedeite grinned. "Pleased, Rosebud?"  
  
She nodded, her violet eyes shining with joy. Glancing at  
Kalkia, she shared her excitement through their mental link. It was  
impossible for Kalkia not to smile at her friend's innocent antics.  
Despite everything, Rose still seemed so childlike sometimes. Kalkia  
knew that the world was a horrid place. Rose did too, but sometimes  
she forgot and that made Kalkia feel an odd urge to protect her.  
  
Endymion took in the new sight. There were couples on the  
ballroom floor, men and women, twirling in an amalgamation of colors  
and cloth. To the side were long tables, with heaps of food upon them.  
Bright golden light shone, a delightful change from the drab lighting  
in the Alpha complexes. Waiters and waitresses flittered from here to  
there, carrying trays of appetizers. Through the huge glass wall, he  
could see stars twinkling in the night sky. That was an illusion, of  
course. The true sky was too polluted, even now, to let much starlight  
in. But it was a wonderful illusion, nonetheless.  
  
Jedeite made his way to a circular table covered with a white  
table cloth, Rose still on his arm. Kalkia and Endymion joined them  
and all four sat down.  
  
Endymion glanced at the general. "Why are we sitting here? I  
thought that we were supposed to look for Omega."  
  
Frowning, Jedeite looked at the dark-haired man. "Alpha, most  
likely the rebels won't try anything until Crimson Flame is finally  
brought out. If we mill around now, we'll only look suspicious. The  
goal is to blend in until the unveiling."  
  
Suddenly, a tall, silver-haired man stepped up to their table.  
"Excuse me," his voice deep, "but I wish to ask the beautiful lady  
to a dance." His aquamarine eyes glittered with an inner light as they  
gazed at Kalkia.  
  
Kalkia lit up instantly and her entire demeanor changed as she  
looked at this man. "General Sephiroth," she murmured quietly, "It's  
been a long time."  
  
"That it has, Kaya." The man she had called Sephiroth smiled  
and held out his hand to her. This confused Endymion, for the only  
other man that ever called Kalkia by that name was Jonathon. There was  
something here that he obviously didn't know. He looked at Rose who  
had a mixture of horror and happiness on her face.  
  
'Who's he?'  
  
'Better to ask who he isn't.' Rose whispered in his mind as  
Sephiroth pulled Kalkia to her feet. The two seemed lost in their own  
little world for the moment. Jedeite made a sound of disgust but  
didn't say anything as the two walked out onto the dance floor.  
  
'That's not very forth coming, Rose.'  
  
She gave a mental sigh. 'Kalkia didn't want to be a scientist.  
She wanted to be a Warrior even when we were children. She loved to  
fight. She and Sephiroth met while she was in physical training. They  
were always attracted to each other and he was her first...well...'  
Her voice gave the impression of blushing. 'He was her first intimate  
experience before she got the Urge. They were even genetically paired  
to produce children.'  
  
'What happened?'  
  
'Better to ask what didn't. Jon doesn't like Sephiroth all  
that much.'  
  
'I wonder why?' Endymion said dryly and then looked to where  
the two were dancing. Somehow they made their waltz wild, passionate,  
and sensual rather then the standard waltz of the other couples.  
Jedeite was watching them as well and he was frowning.  
  
"I thought that Kalkia was told not to have contact with him  
anymore." He looked at Rose for the answer.  
  
She shrugged and tilted her head in contemplation. "You want  
to go up to them and tell them that they need to separate?"  
  
Jedeite glanced back at the couple and frowned. "You know, the  
other generals won't be pleased."  
  
Grabbing his arm, Rose forced Jedeite to look at her. She put  
all her feelings into her eyes, letting him see that she was pleading.  
"Please, Jed, will you just let this go in secret? They don't need to  
know, none of them do. Kalkia is loyal to Alpha, just as Sephiroth is.  
He won't pull her away from the project. Besides, Kal has Jon. She  
won't leave him for anything, not even Sephiroth. It's harmless, Jed.  
Please, just let her have a night of happiness." Her eyes were covered  
in a film of tears, threatening to spill over.  
  
Jedeite looked at Rose, then at Kalkia and Sephiroth, then  
back to Rose. Sighing, he cupped her cheek. "Very well, Rosebud. For  
you, I'll keep this secret." He stood. "I'm going to get something to  
eat. Go dance, you two. We need to seem like we're having a good  
time."  
  
As he left, Endymion looked back at the couple. For a moment,  
he was angry and he couldn't figure out why. When he realized why, he  
laughed. Rose looked at him a little confused. "What?" she asked.  
  
"I was getting upset at Kalkia's dancing. It took me a moment  
to realize that I'm upset because I was made from Jonathon. He feels  
like my brother at times and that makes her my brother's girlfriend.  
She's dancing with another man. Jon would be jealous and so, I'm  
upset."  
  
Rose shook her head and laughed quietly before looking back at  
Kalkia. There was an almost serene look to her face, almost peaceful.  
Not even with Jonathon did she look this content. Shaking her head  
ruefully, Rose stood and extended a hand to Endymion. Smiling, he  
took her hand and they joined the dancing couples.  
  
Across the room, a woman that could have passed as Rose's twin  
was standing next to a small blonde. The blonde was dressed in a  
simple, yet modest cobalt blue dress. Her hair was in two buns that  
had wisps of hair falling from them. Among these people she looked  
almost innocent as her wide bright blue eyes beheld the scene.  
  
"This is wonderful," she said simply, her voice filled with  
awe.  
  
Rei smiled at the blonde and her naiveté. "It's just a dance,  
Serenity. Nothing special."  
  
Shaking her head, Serenity turned serious blue eyes to her  
bodyguard. "Perhaps it's not special to you, Rei, but it's very  
special to me." She motioned to the dancing throng of people. "When  
have you seen so many happy people all at once?"  
  
Rei looked at the dance floor and then frowned. "Whatever. We  
don't have time for this, anyways. We need to be on alert tonight.  
This place is going to be crawling with Alpha soldiers and probably  
the Brigade. They'll be looking for any resistance members, so we'll  
need to play it cool."  
  
Nodding, Serenity looked behind Rei, to the approaching  
Haruka. The tall woman was in a tuxedo, looking like a very handsome  
young man. Haruka had already attracted a few glances and even a few  
blunt propositions, which she had all turned down with annoyance.  
  
It made Serenity giggle. "But I thought you liked women," she  
teased. Haruka shot her a very dangerous glare.  
  
"I like Michiru," she said simply and Serenity left it at  
that.  
  
Serenity looked back at the dance floor and noticed something  
curious. "Is that the woman from Demando's pictures?" she asked as she  
looked at a short red head who was dancing with a tall silver-haired  
man. Rei followed her gaze and nodded.  
  
"That's her."  
  
"Then if she's here, Alpha is here," Serenity said quietly as  
they made their way over to a table. The young woman suddenly felt  
nervous at that thought, but she couldn't understand why. She looked  
at Rei who was scanning the room. She nodded in the direction of a  
woman that looked surprisingly like herself, albeit a bit taller.  
  
"That's the other doctor. Rose Nakazaki, I believe."  
  
"You know," Haruka said idly. "You two could be sisters. I  
mean the only difference now is the dress." Rei was wearing a  
similarly cut dress, but it wasn't as tight nor did it have the  
embroidery and it covered her entire back. It even had sleeves. The  
color was that of a rich burgundy, leaning more towards the purple  
side then red. Her hair was completely down, however, and it easily  
hid her crossbow.  
  
"Shut up, Haruka."  
  
Shrugging, Haruka grinned at Serenity, her blue eyes sparkling  
with mirth. There was danger tonight, the very real possibility that  
they were going to be caught by Alpha. It would take all of her skills  
to emerge victorious tonight and Haruka loved a good challenge.  
  
Frowning, Rei studied Rose and her dancing partner. "Who is  
that guy dancing with her? He looks kinda like Jonathan d'Stormui but  
he was injured years ago."  
  
Both Haruka and Serenity turned to look. "I don't know, Rei.  
Do you recognize him, Serenity?" There was no reply. Confused, Haruka  
and Rei turned to look at their charge.  
  
She was staring at the dark haired man intently, concentration  
etched on her delicate features. Something went through her when she  
looked at him closer. She couldn't describe the sensation, only that  
it was there. She bit her lower lip and narrowed her eyes. Finally she  
shook her head. "There was something for a moment but I can't get into  
his mind at all. I can't read either him or the dark-haired woman."  
  
Haruka made a disappointed noise but looked back at the dance  
floor. "We should sit before we start attracting too much attention.  
There is a good possibility that one of the Inner Circle is here."  
  
"Hazzah," Rei muttered dryly as she began to pull Serenity to  
a table.  
  
* * *  
  
Rose grimaced and almost stumbled. Smoothly, Endymion helped  
her to regain her balance. 'You felt that too,' he sent.  
  
Looking around furtively, Rose nodded. 'It was a powerful mind  
but very unskilled. Whoever it was has a lot of potential but has not  
been trained properly.' She paused. 'Omega.'  
  
Glancing around as well, Endymion tried to find Jedeite. 'We  
don't have time to find out who it was. The unveiling is about to  
commence.' Even as he broadcast this though to Rose, the lights in the  
ballroom flickered and the musicians stopped playing.  
  
The dancers cleared the floor and Sephiroth led Kalkia to a  
place near where the artifact was going to be shown. The two were  
laughing quietly and the silver-haired man was teasingly nuzzling the  
area near her ear. Their hands were intertwined and as they stood,  
Kalkia gently placed a hand on his chest. They looked almost cozy.  
  
Jedeite came back to stand near Endymion and Rose. He was  
glowering slightly but managed not to say anything impolite as he took  
his place beside them. "We have company," he murmured softly in Rose's  
ear.  
  
Nodding, Rose said, "I know." Quickly, she sent him the  
feeling that she and Endymion had just experienced, although she of  
course edited how the powerful mind had not been able to surpass her  
blocks.  
  
Glowering even more, Jedeite looked at Sephiroth. "General,  
you need to alert the men. Our doctor has informed me that we might  
have rebels in the building. But make sure they are secretive."  
  
Sephiroth nodded and let go of Kalkia a little reluctantly.  
She laughed quietly, "Seph, I'm going to be fine. I can take care of  
myself."  
  
The silver-haired man just sighed and kissed her forehead  
before quickly moving to alert all of his men. Kalkia sighed a little  
wistfully and then quickly composed herself. Once more she looked  
dangerous and cold. She scanned the room but her mental powers were no  
match for a lot of the minds. However, she could tell there was  
some seriously uncontrolled power in the room.  
  
"I think that Omega is here," she said a little unnecessarily.  
"I'm going to stand elsewhere so we're not bunched."  
  
Nodding, Jedeite watched as she left. He looked into the  
crowd, a little hesitant. "Rosebud, I'm going to watch the crowd as  
well."  
  
"I'll be fine Jed and no, I won't run off with the Resistance."  
She gave him a sad smile. "I know what you guys will do if I do." She  
shoved him softly and he took off into the crowd. With a sigh, Rose  
grabbed Endymion's hand for support as she doubled the strength of her  
mental walls. With an untamed mind as powerful as she sensed running  
around, that person could do some serious damage if she didn't  
prepare herself. Endymion too was building his defenses.  
  
"Come on," he said as he gave her hand a small tug. "Let's get  
closer to the unveiling."  
  
Hesitant, Rose let go of his hand. "Go, Endy. You'll need to  
find and catch Omega. I'll be right here, looking out for her as well.  
If we split up, we'll have a better chance."  
  
Endymion looked incredibly insecure for a moment, like he was  
surprised that she would leave him alone. "Are you sure?" he asked  
and Rose nodded firmly.  
  
"I'm sure. You can do this. Find Omega quickly."  
  
Across the room, Haruka was moving closer with Serenity, not  
daring to leave her alone for an instant. Rei was by herself in  
another corner, her sights set on Serenity and on the area that would  
soon hold the first artifact. She was so intent on her watching that  
she felt the person behind her a second too late.  
  
Firm hands were placed on her shoulders from behind. "What are  
you doing here, Pyre?"  
  
Whirling around, Rei looked at the blonde general in shock.  
Her thoughts were jumbled for what seemed like an eternity before she  
finally pulled herself together. "Jedeite," she spat, bitterly.  
  
Jedeite chuckled. "Nice to see you too, Pyre."  
  
She jerked away from him, as if burned. "Don't call me that.  
That person doesn't exist anymore. You killed her."  
  
Jedeite froze, his face flashing a sign of pain before he  
pulled his expression into a haughty mask. "I'll call you whatever I  
want, Pyre. What are you doing here when you're wanted by Alpha?" His  
eyes narrowed. "Are you still with that rag tag annoyance group?"  
  
Her eyes flashed with anger. Steel entered her voice, "The  
Resistance is not some little group, General. We are going to defeat  
Alpha and bring back freedom for all humanity."  
  
He looked at her for a moment and then shook his head, "You  
are a fool, Rei. How do you expect to bring about this supposed  
freedom if you are dead?"  
  
She clenched her jaw and her violet eyes burned with rage.  
"I'll kill you first."  
  
"That, I seriously doubt," he said. He hadn't released her  
shoulders. They stared at each other intently for what seemed like  
hours, neither person giving in to the other. "If you try to take the  
jewel, I will have to arrest you," he said finally. For a moment he  
just looked tired. Tired of everything. Then it was gone.  
  
"You'll have to catch me first," she declared, reaching for a  
weapon. Instantly, Jedeite powered up an energy ball. She fired an  
arrow, only to have it crash into Jedeite's shield. Someone screamed.  
  
Hell broke loose.  
  
Cursing, Jedeite grimaced as all the people began to run for  
the exits. Instantly, the doors were all locked as the Alpha soldiers  
secured the exits, preventing anyone from leaving.  
  
"Everyone freeze!" General Sephiroth shot a few bullets into  
the air, causing everyone's attention to turn to him.  
  
Haruka wanted to pound something. The entire mission was  
falling into chaos faster she had ever thought possible. Glancing at  
Serenity, she sent, 'Go, obtain the artifact. I'll distract them. If  
we don't fight, they'll still kill us in the end so we can't  
surrender. It's not an option, understand?' At her affirmative, Haruka  
drew her sword.  
  
"Over here, you Alpha pigs!" Instantly, the soldiers turned to  
her position and chaos erupted again.  
  
Serenity quickly moved towards the artifact and removed the  
long sword from its sheath along her back. She held it professionally  
and people moved out of her way. When she got there, the man from  
before was standing there, his own weapon drawn. She clenched her jaw  
firmly.  
  
"Move."  
  
"No." Endymion looked at her and then suddenly felt the oddest  
sensation he had ever experienced go through him. Heat traveled  
through his body and his muscles tightened. The weirdest part of it  
was that his groin tightened as well. He blinked and scanned for  
Kalkia. She would know what was wrong.  
  
She was locked in a battle with Haruka, her silver staff out.  
She was absolutely amazing as she fought the other woman who was  
wearing men's dress shoes and pants, while she was in the ridiculous  
heels.  
  
Seeing that she was busy, Endymion knew that she couldn't help  
him. He looked for Rose but didn't see her. The blonde girl in front  
of him attacked and he met it with relative ease.  
  
'What's wrong, Endy?' Rose asked as she tried to maneuver  
through the throng. 'Why are you so confused?' She scanned his mind  
and he could feel her embarrassment. 'Oh dear, you've found Omega.'  
  
'Yes,' he replied as he blocked another swipe of her sword.  
'I felt something odd back there. What was it?'  
  
Rose shoved against the crowd, trying to get to Endymion's  
position. She did not want to explain this, especially now. 'Ask  
Kalkia later, Endy. You concentrate on the fight.' Closing the link,  
she tried to search for Jedeite and found him engaged in battle with a  
dark-haired woman. Concentrating so that she would not disturb  
Kalkia's concentration, she saw that her friend was fighting against a  
tall blonde man...no woman. She hated this. Shoving more people out of  
the way, she tried to reach the Crimson Flame, hopefully before Omega  
would get her hands on it.  
  
Jedeite parried a thrust from Rei with his sword. He didn't  
want to use his energy attacks because he still wanted to bring Rei in  
alive. "Come on, Pyre. Give up!"  
  
Scowling, Rei attacked him again with her own sword. During  
the initial confusion, someone had knocked her crossbow from her hands  
and she was forced to go for her sword. How she wished for a gun.  
"Forget it, General. I never give up." A passerby ran between them and  
Rei took the opportunity to knock Jedeite off his feet. In the  
distraction she ran towards Serenity's position.  
  
Serenity fought Endymion with passion as she searched for the  
artifact. Everything that was going to be displayed was very similar  
in appearance. The sudden resurgence of her enemy's attacks caused  
Serenity to focus back on her fight. He was very handsome, with his  
dark hair and gorgeous blue eyes. Something in her tightened as her  
pulse raced, and not because of the fight. Something in the pit of her  
stomach shot through her blood. She shook her head. She had no time  
for this nonsense. She continued to scan the items before finally  
locating the Crimson Flame. Tossing an energy attack at her opponent,  
she used his sudden inactivity to grab the red jewel.  
  
"Oh no you don't, lovely," said Endymion as he regained the  
offensive. Serenity suddenly found herself on the defense, only able  
to block his attacks as he approached her.  
  
Damn, Rose hated this. She didn't want to hurt anyone but the  
blonde woman that Endymion was fighting had her hands on the artifact.  
If they failed in this mission, Metallia might rethink Project Alpha.  
She might even want to punish him for his failure, or even all of  
them. She couldn't let that happen. A golden flash enveloped her and  
she instantly grew colder, more calculating.  
  
Haruka grimaced, clutching her side. Damn that redhead. She  
was a good fighter and actually was able to get a good slice to  
Haruka's ribs. Luckily for Haruka, some other resistance members at  
the party began to fight the bitch and she was able to get away. She  
had to reach Serenity. Omega was her priority. Protect Omega at all  
costs.  
  
Rei finally reached Serenity after scaring a good deal of  
people out of her way. "Serenity, give me the artifact," she cried.  
Nodding, Serenity tossed the brilliant red jewel towards Rei. "Damn  
it," Rei cursed. Some block head had gotten in the way and knocked the  
jewel out of the air. She had to search for it now.  
  
A benefit of being tall was her ability to see over the heads  
of the shorter people. Haruka could see Serenity and that dark-haired  
man locked in combat. That made her angry. The man was good with his  
sword and Haruka was not there to aid Serenity. Jumping onto a table,  
Haruka launched herself into the air and landed behind the man.  
  
Surprised, Endymion began to fight against both blonde women.  
They were both very good, although the one he was sure was Omega was  
a little faster, a little more skilled than the taller blonde. He was  
in serious trouble. And now the black-haired woman that resembled Rose  
so much was joining the fray. He was in deep sh--  
  
He felt a person slam into his back. Turning his head, he  
could see that Rose had joined the party.  
  
'Be careful Endy. Omega is going to be a tough opponent. I'll  
handle the other two until the rest get here.'  
  
'Understood.' Changing his stance, Endymion began to single  
out Omega's attacks while Rose tried to contact the others.  
  
'Jedeite, Kalkia. A little help?'  
  
'Kinda busy, Rose,' came Kalkia's annoyed reply. She was  
dealing with a large man who, while he was genetically enhanced, was  
obviously not a staff fighter. Unfortunately he was strong and trying  
to pull her arms out of their sockets. She finally rammed her staff  
through his midsection and yanked it out hard. Blood spurted on her  
dress and she turned to deal with the next opponent, making her way to  
her allies.  
  
Jedeite had gone to attacking Rei, keeping all of his  
attention focused on her. He pushed her away from her partner and the  
blonde girl that Endymion was fighting. The poor young man was having  
a rather difficult time fighting and trying to ignore his distracting  
body. Jedeite sighed. He didn't even know where the jewel had  
disappeared to, but he need to know quickly so he could retrieve it.  
  
Serenity narrowed her eyes. It was now an even fight and she  
knew that the dark-haired doctor had called for reinforcements. They  
needed to get out of here and fast. Summoning an energy ball, she  
blasted the man she was fighting. But before her attack could hit, he  
created a shield and absorbed her attack. Growling, Serenity looked  
for her next target. One of the doctors had her back to her, fighting   
Haruka. Smiling darkly, Serenity sent a blast at the doctor.  
  
'Rose, watch out!' Endymion was unable to stop his opponent  
from unleashing her attack.  
  
'Huh--' was all Rose could think before she was smashed by a  
painful spike of energy. The impact caused her to lose her sword and  
sent her straight to the blonde amazon she was fighting.  
  
Kalkia reached the scene just in time to watch as Haruka  
placed her sword against Rose's neck. "I'd suggest that all of you  
stop attacking us, or the doctor is going to die," called Haruka.  
Kalkia bit back a curse as she watched Rose try to struggle.  
Unfortunately, when Rose was enhanced, they did not put much effort  
into her physical capabilities and she was unable to break free.  
  
A sickening crack finally caused all combatants to freeze.  
Biting her lip against the pain, Rose had her eyes closed as she  
clutched at her now broken arm.  
  
"Finally." Haruka put more pressure on the blade against her  
hostage's throat. "I'd hate to injure the good doctor more than I have  
to."  
  
Kalkia clenched her jaw tightly and looked at Rose. Gripping  
her staff tightly, she shot the tall blonde woman a dirty look. The  
woman merely gave Rose's broken arm another jerk.  
  
"Put down your weapons, pigs."  
  
Jedeite cursed and back away from Rei. She smirked  
triumphantly and went to stand next to her partner. "Stop fighting,  
all of you."  
  
'NO! Jed, keep going. Damn it, Metallia will be furious if we  
let this opportunity to kill Omega go!'  
  
He hesitated. She was right.  
  
'Jedeite, you heartless bastard! You can't let them kill her.'  
Kalkia shot him a death glare. 'I'll kill you if you let her die.'  
  
'Shut up, Kalkia, just shut up and let me think.' He knew that  
this might be a rare opportunity to kill Omega. Now that the rebels  
knew that they were onto them, they would be more cautious in the  
future. It would be his hide if he failed. But then, there was also  
the fact that they were threatening to kill Rose. She was his friend,  
or at least as close to one as possible given their situations. He  
did not want to let her down, even if she wanted to die herself.  
Besides, she needed to finish programming Alpha. He glanced at  
Endymion and knew that Alpha was not in any shape to save the  
situation. His hormones were off the scale and all because that  
annoying blonde who was glaring at him.  
  
Shaking his head, Jedeite said, "Back off, Kalkia, Endymion.  
We can't risk it." The two joined him at his side, watching the two  
blondes, Rei, and Rose warily. From their point of view, they could  
see Rose close her eyes and begin to cry.  
  
'Damn you, damn you, damn you all...' was the only message  
they were getting from her.  
  
Rei grinned cockily at the stewing Jedeite. "Well, the proud  
general finally has some standards. Surprising." She looked at the  
hostage that Haruka had taken. "Are you screwing Rose, Jedeite?"  
Underneath all her scorn, Serenity could detect a thin undercurrent of  
anger and bitterness.  
  
"Shut up, Rei," spat Jedeite angrily. "What are the conditions  
for the release of Rosebud?" He looked directly at Rei when he said  
the nickname, aiming to hurt her.  
  
And it worked. Rei mentally reeled back in pain and glared at  
the hostage. But before she could strike her, Serenity grabbed her  
arm.  
  
Shaking her head, Serenity tried to reason with the irate  
woman. "Rei, we aren't bullies. We're the good guys and good guys  
don't hit hostages." Grumbling, Rei complied and reigned in her anger  
and jealousy.  
  
Looking at the trio of warriors, Serenity spoke. "We want you  
to release all of our people, immediately. Allow no one to follow  
them."  
  
Jedeite nodded. "Done." He broadcasted his order to General  
Sephiroth and the soldiers and they promptly released all captured  
resistance members. As soon as they were free, the rebels all left the  
building, much to the irritation of the Alpha soldiers.  
  
"Good," Serenity said. Turning her attention back on the  
Alphas, she began to cautiously back up.  
  
Endymion and Kalkia both tensed and took a step forward. "Hold  
it," growled Haruka, her blade still against Rose's throat.  
  
"We've agreed with your demands, cowards. Let Rose go." Kalkia  
clenched her fists. She hated being helpless. She needed to do  
something.  
  
Shaking her head, Serenity looked straight at Jedeite. "We  
need insurance that you won't attack us until we leave." She motioned  
for her compatriots to ahead backwards toward the exit. Haruka  
suddenly gasped and the sword flew out of her hand and towards Kalkia.  
The woman caught it effortlessly before it went past her head. Because  
of the abruptness of the motion, there was a thin line of blood on  
Rose's neck.  
  
"I think you're leaving now," Kalkia said calmly. "You have  
until the count of ten to get out of the room. So sue me if its  
cliché."  
  
Haruka glared and Rei moved to swing her sword back in Rose's  
direction. The sword also left her hand at an astonishing speed. It  
clattered to the ground at Endymion's feet.  
  
"One."  
  
Serenity began to lead the other women out carefully but she  
didn't dare turn her back on the Alphas, especially the man with the  
dark hair and entrancing blue eyes. There was something about him  
that bothered her, both mentally and physically.  
  
"Two."  
  
They were gone by the count of five. Kalkia looked at her  
friend angrily. "You aren't supposed to have a death wish," she nearly  
screamed and slapped her hard, fearful and angry at the same time. She   
would have slapped Rose again, if Jedeite and Endymion hadn't pulled  
her back.  
  
"What the hell did you do, Kalkia?" Jedeite said once they had  
managed to calm her enough not to kill Rose when they had just saved  
her.  
  
"I did nothing," she snapped and pulled away. Along her cheek  
was an ugly gash that she touched. She winced painfully and just  
simply leaned into Sephiroth's arms when he came up behind her.  
"Endymion was the one who forced the sword from the blonde's hand and  
stopped your ex-lover." Luckily, Jedeite didn't think to question her,   
even though Endymion had been too preoccupied to do anything useful.   
"This was royally screwed up, Jedeite. Royally."  
  
Sephiroth did not looked pleased either. "We could have killed  
all of them with minimal casualties," he managed to say calmly, but  
there was an eerie look in his eyes. "Why did you stop us?"  
  
"Yes Jed, WHY DID YOU STOP?" Rose's voice was cold,  
infuriated, her face still baring Kalkia's handprint. Her eyes blazed  
violet fire as she glared at all of her friends. "God, why couldn't  
you guys just let me die? Now, we're all doomed. Metallia is going to  
destroy us all for this. Omega is gone and the rebels have the Crimson  
Flame. And for what? My miserable life!" She fell to the ground,  
heedless of her broken arm and bleeding neck.  
  
"No," Kalkia said firmly and pulled out of Sephiroth's arms.  
"We did it for mine. We'll blame this on me. Kunzite will have a hell  
of a time killing me and it will make everyone happy."  
  
No one argued with her. No one dared to argue with her, she  
was one of the only people still carrying a weapon. Endymion just  
shook his head but didn't say anything. His body was being to relax  
and his groin was no long tense. He looked down at himself and  
breathed a sigh of relief.  
  
Shaking his head, Jedeite sighed. "No one is going to die, at  
least, not tonight. Kunzite's orders were clear that Rosebud wasn't  
to be killed, not until she got Horny over there," he glared at  
Endymion, "to complete his mental programming." Disgusted, he picked  
up his sword and re-sheathed it. Walking up to Rose, he picked her up  
gingerly, careful not to jar her arm. "Let's go. We'll have a lot of  
explaining to do."  
  
Picking their way through the rubble, the quintet left the  
ballroom and headed outside. Endymion lagged behind, following  
silently. No one said a word. It wasn't until they were in the car  
that Endymion stopped and looked at Jedeite, still very perplexed.  
"Horny?" He obviously didn't get the insult.  
  
Sephiroth heaved an exasperated sigh. "Where the hell did this  
guy come from? He's a moron!"  
  
Narrowing her eyes, Rose glared at him. "Leave him alone,  
Sephiroth," she said. Her voice was uncharacteristically cold.  
  
Kalkia poked Sephiroth in the ribs and shook her head. She knew  
that when Rose got into one of her moods, she could be frightening.  
Sephiroth looked at the small woman, held in Jedeite's arms and  
shuddered at the cold violet eyes. He kept his mouth shut.  
  
It was Kalkia who spoke next. "Tell me what happened  
Endymion," she said as the vehicle door closed and made its way to the  
nearest teleportation facility.  
  
Endymion flushed slightly, "Everything tightened when I looked  
at that girl. My temperature raised and I just got.." he made an  
exasperated sound. He was having a difficult time explaining this to  
everyone. It didn't help that the other two men in the vehicle weren't  
being too sympathetic.  
  
"You got hard," Kalkia said and smiled slightly from her place  
next to him. She lightly touched his inner wrist. "You're not calmed  
down yet. Are you still thinking about her?" Endymion nodded and  
flushed slightly. "Try to clear her from your mind. I think it's a  
safe bet that he was fighting with Omega. I'm a damn good guesser  
too."  
  
Jedeite looked at her sharply, "What do you mean?"  
  
"I guessed what she would be like from the corrupted files of  
Dr. Demando. I guessed her proportions too. I was really close. Maybe  
I won't die tonight after all."  
  
"So this is what you warned me about?" Endymion asked. "This  
is the physical response to Omega?"  
  
Rose shook head, pulling away from Jedeite, who was bandaging  
her throat. "It's not just a physical response, Endymion. You're  
attracted to her physically, yes, but you also reach out to her with  
your mind. She's as attracted to you as you are to her. This was the  
only way we could think of so that you could find Omega and get close  
enough to her to kill her." Grimacing, she jerked her arm back into  
place, grunting when the pain lanced through her nerves. Concealing  
her own pain, she opened a link to both Endymion and Kalkia. "We'll  
help you calm down."  
  
Nodding, Kalkia let Endymion access that cool spot in her  
mind, just like Rose did. He drew on this inner strength and slowly,  
his body returned to its normal state. Opening his eyes, he grinned at  
both of them. "Thanks."  
  
Opening the door of the vehicle, Jedeite gave the group a grim  
smile. "You'll need all the help you can get, Alpha, if Metallia and  
the rest of the Inner Circle are as angry as I believe they are."  
Exiting the car, the group walked through the corridors of Alpha  
Three's military complex. There was a brief moment of discomfort as  
the uncertainty on how to proceed went through the group.  
  
Kalkia broke the silence, "I'll meet you back at Alpha  
Headquarters tomorrow," she said and slipped her hand into  
Sephiroth's. The silver-haired man smiled before pulling her closer.  
  
"Kalkia, Kunzite will have a fit if you don't come back with  
us," Jedeite warned.  
  
"Let him. I'll be back tomorrow."  
  
"And if Jonathon demands to know where you are?" Endymion  
asked quietly. Again he felt a faint sense of anger at what she was  
implying she was going to do.  
  
"Tell him."  
  
"Kalkia, this is not wise," Jedeite started but she cut him  
off with a shake of her head.  
  
"Neither was giving me this problem."  
  
"I'll handle Kunzite, Jed." Rose gave Kalkia a small smile.  
"Go have fun, Kal and I'll handle Jonathon for you as well." She shot  
Endymion a glare when he tried to protest. "All of us need a break  
after what has happened tonight. Besides, if this is my last night  
alive, I'd like to have some fun before I die in Metallia's hands."  
  
Kalkia and Sephiroth turned to leave. "Rose, are you sure?"  
Even with the Urge pressing against her mind, Kalkia was still  
concerned about the trouble she might cause her friend.  
  
Bitter laughter filled the silence. "I'm sure, I'm sure." Rose  
made a shooing motion with her hand, "Go Kalkia. I'll be fine, like I  
always am." After a small pause, Kalkia nodded and the couple left the  
group.  
  
Shaking his head, Jedeite looked at his heart-sister. "You let  
her get away with too much, Rosebud." His face softened. "Go, get  
yourself fixed up and put Alpha to bed. I'll try to think of a way to  
keep Metallia from killing us all."  
  
*Next Morning, Alpha Laboratory, Alpha One Enclave*  
  
The first thing that Endymion noticed about Kalkia when she  
walked into the lab, was that she was calmer then he had ever seen  
her. Her hair was completely down, falling almost to her knees, and it  
was in gentle waves. Her green eyes were bright and lively and she  
almost looked happy.  
  
The second thing he noticed as a large bruise on her cheek. It  
ran from eyelevel all the way down to her chin, as if she had been  
backhanded viciously. He blinked several times and looked over at  
Rose who was pretending not to notice the bruise.  
  
Kalkia sat at her chair and it was quiet for a few moments.  
She finished going through several health scans on him before walking  
over to the table. "Looks like everything is still working," she said  
with a smile.  
  
He nodded and briefly touched her cheek with his fingers. She  
winced and sharply pulled away. "Who was it?" he finally asked.  
"Sephiroth or Kunzite?"  
  
"I haven't seen Kunzite yet," Kalkia said stiffly.  
  
"Then it was Sephiroth."  
  
"No," she walked over to a computer screen and was content to  
leave the conversation at that.  
  
"Who was it?" Endymion moved to get off of the lab table but  
she motioned for him to stay where he was. For a long time it seemed  
that she really wouldn't answer him.  
  
"Jonathon."  
  
Rose's arm on his shoulder stopped him from speaking next.  
"I'll fix that for you." Placing a warm hand on Kalkia's cheek, Rose's  
fingertips glowed golden and passed through the damaged area.  
Instantly, the bruise disappeared and there were no marks at all on  
Kalkia's flawless, pale skin. "No one saw this, right?"  
  
Nodding, Kalkia looked in the mirror. "Perfect job, as always,  
Rose." She grinned.  
  
Shaking her head, Rose gave her friend a serious look. "Why do  
you always insist on baiting Jonathon? Especially when I spend a better  
part of the night trying to keep him from chasing after Sephiroth with  
an axe?"  
  
"He's emotionally unstable, Rose, you know that," Kalkia sighed  
heavily. "Whatever it was that messed him up, makes him irrationally  
angry. It doesn't matter what I do, he's going to always be like that  
when it comes to Sephiroth." She went back to the computer and sat  
down.  
  
"What he did was wrong," Endymion said suddenly. "You should  
have stopped him."  
  
"I'm not strong enough to, Endymion," Kalkia said without any  
inflection in her voice. She could have been talking about flowers for  
all the feeling she put into her words. "Jonathon is just as  
physically capable as you are. Besides, he'll apologize to me later  
tonight and we'll have glorious make-up sex."  
  
"And that's worth being hit over?"  
  
Kalkia laughed at Endymion, making him even more confused.  
"You haven't had sex yet Endymion, so you'll just have to trust me.  
It's definitely worth it." Suddenly, she stopped, the smile draining  
from her face. "Wait a minute...why in the world are you concerned  
over right and wrong? Rose, that was not a part of the mental progr--"  
  
Rose's golden glow immediately soothed over Kalkia's mind.   
Kalkia's eyes dilated for a moment before she refocused and shook her   
head. "How is the mental programming going, Rose?"  
  
Shaking her head, Rose looked over her calculations, her  
vision slightly blurry from the use of her powers. "It's alright,  
Kalkia, but I know that Metallia will want him at one hundred percent  
at the meeting today. I can't force him to assimilate all that  
information without seriously screwing something up." Tilting her  
head in mute contemplation, ignoring the accompanying dizzy sensation,  
she looked at Kalkia. "Why don't you go make up with Jonathon, Kalkia?  
I can take care of things here until the meeting."  
  
Kalkia looked at her solidly for a moment. "I'm missing time,"  
she said suddenly. "Shit Rose, if you're gonna do me, do me right."  
She winced and held her head. She then abruptly changed subjects once  
again. "Besides, I'm not going to make up with Jon until tonight. He's  
still tearing apart his apartment. Kunzite and Zoicite will be here  
soon to debrief us before we talk to Metallia." She paused, "And no  
heroics," she said firmly, "I'll take the fall for this if we have to.  
Someone else can remake Endymion if he gets killed. My diagrams are  
perfect." She knew that Rose had tampered with her memories, but she   
also knew that her friend did it for a good reason and would not fight   
to break the light seal that Rose used. Rose always used light seals on   
Kalkia's mind, even though Kalkia knew that Rose was powerful enough to   
make a seal that Kalkia couldn't break nor sense. This way, Rose   
respected Kalkia while protecting her at the same time.  
  
Rose tried to argue, but clutched her head in pain. Endymion  
and Kalkia didn't even have time to react before she fell to the  
ground, moaning. Endymion reached her side first, placing her head in  
his lap. Kalkia tried to get a hold of Rose's thrashing limbs.  
  
"Damn it, grab the muscle relaxer, Endymion." She pointed at a  
needle on the table. Nodding, he grabbed the instrument and plunged it  
into Rose's arm. Slowly, her tremors began to slow, then disappear.  
Worried, Kalkia lightly shook Rose, trying to get her to open her  
eyes. "Come on girl...you can't die on me now." Both Endymion and  
Kalkia waited anxiously for a reply.  
  
After what seemed like years, Rose slowly opened her eyes,  
her pupils unfocused. "Wh...what happened?" Her voice was thick, as  
if stuck in honey.  
  
Propping her up, Endymion replied, "You collapsed, suddenly.  
We don't know the cause."  
  
Scanning her patient, Kalkia's eyes widened at the results.  
"Damn it Rose, I told you to stop pushing your limits like this. Your  
readings are off the scale. You're lucky you didn't collapse before  
this. We should get Zoicite to come in." Kalkia began to go for the  
communication system but Rose's hand stopped her.  
  
"No, Kalkia." Her hand wearily dropped back to her side. "If  
Zoi finds out, he'll know that I've been doing something powerful  
lately. There isn't any explanation or reason that they know of and   
they'll get suspicious. I don't have the energy to erase that too."  
She smiled, faintly. "Don't worry, I've just been using too much of  
my mental abilities recently. I'll be fine."  
  
Kalkia just nodded and went to get a few more medical toys  
before going back over to her. "Clear your mind," she said firmly,  
"I'm going to calm your body." Kalkia let off a faint silver aura and  
Rose's body relaxed visibly. Kalkia's eyes were open and the silver  
threads glowing but it was obvious that it wasn't the Urge.  
  
She took a deep breath and pulled away. "Feel better?" she  
asked with a smile. Rose nodded a little numbly. Endymion looked  
between them with a faint look of surprise.  
  
"What did you do?" he asked.  
  
"I forced her body to relax and then made it feel as if she  
had several pleasurable, yet exhausting orga--experiences. She'll  
feel what I feel when the Urge is satisfied for the next few days."  
  
Rose just made a contented sigh and Kalkia laughed. They got  
the dark haired doctor standing before Kunzite and Zoicite came in.  
The brunette scientist wasn't looking very happy, and Kunzite looked  
downright annoyed. Neither wore their usual expressions of calm or  
apatheticness.  
  
"Who pissed in your milk?" Kalkia asked sweetly.  
  
Kunzite shot Kalkia a look that clearly said he was not  
amused. "Shut your mouth doctor, or I'll shut it for you."  
  
Kalkia bit off a retort when Rose tugged at her elbow. 'Not  
now Kal. We'll need to save our energy for Metallia.'  
  
'Fine, Rose, but he better lay off.'  
  
'I'll try.' Rose gave both men a nod. "She'll behave herself,  
if you leave her alone. We have a lot of ground to cover before we're  
summoned so I suggest that we get on with this." She stepped to the  
table, swaying before Endymion reached out and steadied her. She  
giggled.  
  
Zoicite raised a pale eyebrow. "Are you drunk?"  
  
Rose's answer was another giggle. "You could say that. I  
spent all last night sparring with Endymion." She smiled at her  
dark-haired shadow. "It was exhilarating to say the least."  
  
Kalkia couldn't help but laugh quietly behind her hand, but  
it got so bad that she had to turn away. Kunzite looked at Endymion  
skeptically and almost a little angrily at the implied activities.  
  
"He's still a virgin," he said bluntly. Jealousy ate at him.  
No man had a right to his heart-sister, an odd sentiment for the man  
that was Rose's rapist, but he still felt it.  
  
"Technically," Kalkia said in a sing-song voice. She was  
getting a kick out of baiting Kunzite.  
  
Kunzite clenched his jaw, "Kalkia," he warned and she  
shrugged innocently. "Jedeite told me you stayed behind in Alpha  
Three." Might as well attack the more aggravating source first.  
  
"Did he tell you why?"  
  
"No, but you're going to."  
  
Kalkia shrugged again, "What I do with my body is my  
business," she said simply. "We have things to discuss that don't  
include my hormones for a change."  
  
"How refreshing," Kunzite muttered.  
  
"Guys, you're acting like sib--immature." Zoicite went over  
to Rose and looked at her closely. "We don't have time for arguments  
at the moment. We need to tell them the kind of shit they're in  
before they go and piss off Metallia." His green eyes bore into  
Rose's violet ones, trying to at least get one person on his side of  
sanity.  
  
Blowing a hair out of her face, Rose smiled and hugged  
Zoicite. "I know we're in trouble, Zoi. No need to come here and  
spread your cloud of gloom." Releasing the shocked general/doctor,  
Rose grabbed Endymion's hand and plopped into a seat at the table.  
Endymion sat next to her, an amused smile on his face.  
  
Scowling, Kunzite strode over to them, taking a seat at the  
head of the conference table. "I'm glad to see that you're able to  
still smile after the fiasco last night."  
  
"Laughter is sometimes the only thing you can do in a tough  
situation. It helps keep my sanity." She twirled in her chair as  
Kalkia and Zoicite joined them at the table. "It helps get rid of the  
tension." Stopping her foolish antics, Rose regarded Kunzite with  
a puzzled look. Tilting her head, she asked, "Where's Jed? Why isn't  
he here?"  
  
"He's waiting for Nephlite to pick him up," Kunzite said   
briskly.  
  
"Where is Nephlite?" Kalkia asked. It was easy to see that  
both of them were just a little uncomfortable.  
  
"He's waiting to take care of Jed," Zoicite said quietly, his   
eyes averted. He didn't like knowing what he did.  
  
"Damn, you didn't give him to Esmeraude did you?" Her eyes  
widened considerably when she got no answer, "You guys really are a  
group of bastards."  
  
A frustrated scream tore through the room. All eyes turned to  
Rose. "How could you! He was following orders!" She rose to strike  
Kunzite but collapsed. Her body showed fresh wounds, blood blossoming  
on her clothing.  
  
Kunzite kneeled beside her, gripping her wrist. "Cut the link,  
Rose. He's getting what he deserves for his failure."  
  
She didn't reply as another scream ripped through her throat.  
"You couldn't kill me so you take it out on Jedeite." Her eyes were  
unseeing as she tried her best to take away as much of Jedeite's pain  
as possible without giving anything away. Crimson liquid began to  
drip from her mouth.  
  
Kalkia shoved Kunzite to one side and grabbed Rose's hand as  
she opened a mental link. Instantly, both of them were bleeding from  
identical wounds. "Get Esmeraude to stop, you two. If not, Metallia  
is going to lose the project's two head scientists."  
  
From the corner came a softly angry voice. "And it's pet  
project." He too was bleeding, but showed no pain, just mute anger.  
  
Zoicite was kneeling by all three, scanning them over.  
"Kunzite, issue the order."  
  
He glared at the fair-haired doctor. "Metallia wanted someone  
to be punished and Jedeite was in charge of the mission." He did not  
want to yield.  
  
"Damn it, Kunzite, Rose is going to die. After all the shit  
you put her through and the events last night, her body can't handle  
this as well." He scanned the others, worried. "Rose is getting the   
brunt of this, but Alpha and Kalkia will be sucked down too with  
their link with Rose. Metallia is going to be even more pissed when  
she finds out that we don't have a way to stop Omega."  
  
Angry, Kunzite's aura began to pulse. His ice-green eyes  
glared at Zoicite, but Zoicite met the general's gaze without  
reserve. "It's your fault as much as anyone else's. We've warned to  
you stop using Rose but you didn't listen. What is Metallia going to  
do when she finds out that little tidbit of news?"  
  
The sounds of harsh breathing began to fill the room. Kalkia,  
Rose and Endymion were all staring at Kunzite, waiting for his  
decision. There was no fear in their eyes, only quiet acceptance.  
This was the hand fate had dealt them and they were going to make the  
best of it.  
  
Kunzite was able to stand there for an entire five minutes  
before he stalked over to the communications terminal. "Esmeraude.  
Stop now and let him go."  
  
"No," came the green-haired woman's voice over the line. It  
was soft and husky but filled with pleasure. She was getting off on  
whatever she was doing.  
  
"Now, Esmeraude."  
  
There was a noise but the woman stopped. "Fine."  
  
Kunzite looked over at Rose but it was Kalkia who nodded the  
affirmative. Kunzite closed the link and looked at the three angrily.  
"We can't have you bloody for your interview with Metallia."  
  
"Suck off, Kunzite," Kalkia hissed and picked Rose up.  
Endymion went over to her and grabbed a dermal regenerator out of  
Zoicite's hands. The dark haired man began to heal Rose's wounds and  
Kalkia just stood there, letting her blood drip on the floor. Finally  
she moved towards the door, looking incredibly angry.  
  
"Where are you going?" Kunzite asked in a dangerous hush.  
  
"To get Jedeite out of there and in bed safely."  
  
"You don't care," he accused, "You hate him and would love to  
see any of us rot."  
  
"I hate Esmeraude more." The doors whooshed open and she  
looked back at him over her shoulder, "Besides, I'm not doing this  
for Jedeite."  
  
"Then who?"  
  
"If you don't know the answer to that, Kunzite, then you  
never knew me." She left the room.  
  
Coughing, Rose expelled blood out of her throat. It burned  
from the electric probe Esmeraude had shoved down Jedeite's throat.  
'Jed, are you alright?'  
  
'Rosebud?' Jedeite's mental voice was fuzzy, bordering on the  
edge of incoherent.  
  
'Yeah, it's me. Kalkia is going to get you out of Esmeraude's  
clutches. She'll probably read Nephlite the riot act while she's at  
it.'  
  
'That was you earlier, wasn't it?'  
  
Rose smiled ruefully. 'Yeah.'  
  
He was frowning at her, but she knew that he was still  
relieved. 'You shouldn't have, Rosebud. I could have handled it on my  
own.'  
  
She could feel him coughing great chest heaving coughs as  
darkness ate at the edges of his mind. 'Go rest, Jed. You're safe  
now.' His silent appreciation was the last thing she heard as he fell  
unconscious.  
  
Kunzite wanted to smash something. "You are lucky Metallia  
still has a use for you, doctor." He walked over to her prone form,  
he removed his glove and began running fingers over a still bleeding  
wound. He had been the tiniest bit frightened to see Rose dying  
before his very eyes and wanted her to suffer for making him feel  
that way. Lifting his hand, he tasted her blood and smiled when Rose  
flinched.  
  
Glaring, Endymion pushed the smiling silver-haired general  
aside and continued to heal the wounds. It was silent in the room for  
nearly ten minutes when a mental blast went through both Endymion and  
Rose. 'Tell Kunzite that if Esmeraude doesn't get out of my way in  
the next five seconds, I'm going to kill her.'  
  
"Kal says that she's gonna kill the bitch if she doesn't  
move," Rose whispered hoarsely.  
  
"Tell her if she kills Esmeraude then I'll kill her."  
  
Rose nodded and it was silent for a moment. She winced when  
Endymion placed the cold metal of the regenerator in one of the  
larger wounds. "Esmeraude isn't going to be walking anytime soon."  
  
Zoicite almost laughed but knew it was probably more smart  
not to. Endymion had finally allowed him to help Rose. "Is there  
anything else we need to know before we go and see Metallia?" he  
asked softly. His voice had grown more hard, more dangerous in the  
last few days and it pained a part of Rose to see it. Despite what  
she wanted, he was turning into the weapon that he was created to be.  
  
"Nothing really," replied Kunzite as he leaned back in his  
chair, casually. "There isn't much you can do to prepare."  
  
Getting up from the medical bed, Rose stood and let Endymion  
take her place. She shooed Zoicite away, knowing that Endymion was  
not apt to let the doctor treat him. Huffing, Zoicite went to sit  
down, unhappy that he was not allowed to do his job.  
  
"All of us are to report, are we not," asked Rose as she  
healed a small cut on Endymion's brow.  
  
Kunzite looked uncomfortable. "Yes, you, Alpha and Kalkia.  
Jedeite has already given us his report before being punished." He  
steepled his fingers. "Metallia might not have to see you if Zoicite  
pronounces you too weak to attend, Rose." Somehow, deep down, he was  
afraid what Metallia would do to Rose, though he loathed to admit it.  
  
She didn't look at him when she replied. "I won't run,  
Kunzite. You know that." Her voice was hoarse. "I'm the one that got  
captured and let the rebels get away with the Crimson Flame. Metallia  
is going to want to see me, most of all."  
  
Kunzite's shoulders sagged. "I know."  
  
The doors whooshed open and Kalkia came in, hearing the last  
few statements. She raised an eyebrow, "So nice that you suddenly  
care," she commented and then went to sit down. She had changed her  
clothes and at the moment was completely covered, having chosen to  
wear a pants uniform. "How deep is the shit?"  
  
"Up to the eyeballs," Zoicite muttered. "Metallia doesn't  
anger easily but she was very..." he searched for an appropriate  
word. "Very annoyed."  
  
"Sounds fun," Kalkia said idly. She leaned back and closed her  
eyes as if suddenly tired.  
  
"How's Jedeite?" Zoicite finally asked.  
  
"In bed, sleeping. He's drugged at the moment. I left him  
with a very willing nurse."  
  
"Weren't up to nursing him yourself?" Kunzite asked blandly.  
Kalkia just smiled at him. She didn't say anything in reply to his   
barb.  
  
"Are we ready to go and get this over with?" she asked  
instead.  
  
Rose turned, finished with healing Endymion. "I am," she said  
with her raspy voice. She shook her head and used another instrument.  
"Endymion," she asked, her voice back to its normal timbre.  
  
He nodded, standing next to her. "Bring it on." Rose and  
Kalkia laughed while Zoicite raised a surprised eyebrow. Kunzite  
merely glared at the dark-haired man.  
  
"Let's go face the music, shall we, ladies?" Endymion offered  
an arm each to the doctors and they took them, still smiling. Kunzite  
growled and both he and Zoicite led the way out of the medical  
facility and to Alpha Headquarters. 


	5. Chapter Four

AUTHOR NOTE

Yeah, a singular author. This is The Rose Society and since Kayla has

retired from fanfiction, according to my understanding, she will no

longer be working on this story. We had previously written almost 14

chapters and a prologue, so I have decided that I will go ahead and

post everything as-is and will finish out the series either myself or

with another writer. I have tried to contact her but received no

reply. Kayla, email me if you get a chance.

The Rose Society

Disclaimer: Don't own the characters. Characters belong to Naoko

Takeuchi.

WARNING! THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS SCENES OF VIOLENCE (SEXUAL AND

PHYSICAL) AND NUDITY. PLEASE HEED THE WARNING!

Alpha's Omega

Chapter Four

By: Kayla Chavi and The Rose Society

Rating: R

Email: Cell Headquarters, Alpha One Enclave

The moment Minako stepped into Rei's quarters she knew that

something had gone terribly wrong. However, it wasn't the overturned

desk or the broken glass that set her off. And it wasn't the screaming

or the sound of ripping fabric either. No, it was the holographic

emitter that had once stood in a private niche along the far wall of

the living room. Normally the hologram wasn't turned on for strangers,

but when Rei's friends were alone for a quiet night of reminiscence it

showed a picturesque scene of the two former lovers.

Currently, it was completely destroyed and an extremely upset

Rei was sitting in the middle of her bed. It was quite the sight to

behold: her raven-wing hair in tangles and no longer carrying a

healthy shine; her beautiful violet eyes were red and tear streaks

stained her face. On her bare skin there were traces of blood from

where she had cut herself when breaking the glass.

She just sat there in a daze as Minako carefully stepped

through the broken glass and other debris to come sit beside her.

Gently the blonde drew her into her arms and held her close.

"I could ask what happened, but it doesn't take a genius to

guess."

Rei made a sound between a snort and a bitter laugh. She was

shaking as she began to cry again. Minako just held her and gently ran

her hand soothingly up and down her back.

"I'm a fool for believing that there was some part of us that

could be together again," she whimpered as her sobs grew less and

less. "Until last night I really believed that a part of us could make

it work."

"You're not a fool," Minako gently chided. "Just a little

delusional."

Rei's laugh was cut off by another sob. "God, when I saw him

standing there, all dressed up in a tuxedo, it was like I fell in love

all over again. Like I was that eighteen year old teenager again, just

discovering life." She grimaced. "But now he's screwing another woman

and yet I still want him back." Tears fell again. "He's working for

Metallia, the Bitch of Evil, and I still believe, deep down, that we

can have a home."

Minako gently stroked her hair and Rei buried her face in her

friend's neck as she broke down into tears again. "I know I'm an idiot

for thinking this," she finally whispered. Minako shook her head but

didn't elaborate on her thoughts right away.

"All of us wish that someday it would work," she finally said.

"But none of you really believe it," Rei pointed out after

sniffling. She tried to wipe her eyes and get rid of the tears. "All

of you know that there is no hope in that wish. I'm the only one that

keeps things to remind me of him."

Minako raised an eyebrow but didn't argue with her. "I'm proud

of you, though," she said instead.

"For what?"

"For not killing Rose." At Rei's stunned expression, the

blonde cell leader smiled. "Serenity told me that you almost hit her.

I don't think she realized that you would have taken Haruka's sword

and actually killed her." Minako laughed under her breath. "Serenity

doesn't know you like I do."

Rei blushed slightly and looked away. "I wanted to kill her,"

she agreed softly.

"But you didn't."

"But I wanted to," she looked at her hands that hung limply in

her lap. "Rose was in his classes, the higher classes. Mentally, she

was his equal more then I ever was. She's beautiful and smart. I was

just beautiful."

"It hurts."

"Yeah, like hell."

Minako laughed then shook her head. "If we did everything that

we wanted to, Alpha would have already wiped us off the face of the

planet by now. You kept from killing one of their prized scientists

and very well might have saved all our lives. Not only that, but you

got the Crimson Flame. We're one step closer to bringing about Omega."

She tightened her grip on Rei's shoulders, causing the dark-haired

woman to look up at her. "Remember, Rei, being a resistance fighter is

never losing hope for a better future, no matter what is reality. It's

the only way we can keep going against such insurmountable odds."

Minako slid off the bed and held a hand out to Rei. "Come

girl, let's get you cleaned up. We're going to have a celebration for

our first major victory."

Smiling, albeit tearfully, Rei took Minako's hand and tried

to muster some spirit. "It's time to party."

Alpha Headquarters, Alpha Prime

"We look like we're headed to a funeral," Kalkia quipped.

Kunzite didn't look at her. "Not far off the mark."

Rose unconsciously squeezed Endymion's hand. She hated

Metallia in a way that was completely indescribable. The woman--no,

the creature was pure evil. She sucked the life out of everything in

her presence. It was frightening to say the least.

To make matters worse, she was annoyed. Metallia on a good day

was terrifying...on a bad day...well, it was best left unsaid. All

four of the Inner Circle were in attendance, as well as Kalkia, Rose

and Endymion. Jedeite had to have help going to the main chambers and

so was being supported by Nephlite and Zoicite. His wounds hadn't

quite healed completely and he was exhausted. But Metallia still

demanded his presence.

'Jed?' His head snapped up at Rose's soft mental inquiry.

'Don't worry about me, Rosebud.' He smiled and warmth traveled

though the link. 'I'll be fine. Don't tire yourself out with any

useless mental communications. You'll need your strength for later.'

He closed the link, giving Rose a real life smile.

Returning the smile, Rose squeezed Endymion's hand again. She

looked at Kalkia. The redhead looked completely devoid of emotion. She

tried to fathom how she achieved something that not even the four

members of the Inner Circle could fake. When no answer came, she

ceased to wonder. Now was not time. They had entered the main chambers

and were now in the presence of Metallia.

The room was enshrouded in darkness. By automatic sensor, the

massive doors behind them closed with a loud boom that echoed

throughout the mostly empty room. It was a rough rectangle shape, the

door on one end and the throne on the other end, as far away as

possible. It was theatrically impersonal. The floor was black granite

and ate at any and all light that might have entered. There was only a

faint light highlighting any entrants and a back light for the throne.

Instantly, Endymion could sense the fear level rise in all of his

companions, save one.

Kalkia caught Endymion looking at her and she gave him a

faintly smug smile. 'When you don't care about anything, it makes it

difficult to hurt you.' She looked back at the impressive throne and

continued to be impassive.

Sitting on the throne was the figure of a woman shrouded in

shadows. The only two things that one could distinguish were her

incredible height and her well-endowed bosom. Her hair flowed over the

throne and went several feet past on the floor, its color masked. Her

arms rested on the shoulders of the chair and her body looked

incredibly calm.

In the darkness, only her eyes were particularly clear. Her

eyes were completely white and had a tendency to flash painful bursts

of light when she was angry.

"I am not satisfied," was all she said. Endymion could hear

the background noise of Kalkia's sarcastic remark to Rose and the

immediate chide of the latter doctor. Then Metallia's flinty voice

whipped through the room, demanding the complete attention of all. It

even chilled Kunzite to the core. "Report, General."

Kunzite took a step forward to separate himself from the

crowd. Placing his right fist over his heart, he bowed his head

slightly, the traditional greeting for an Alpha superior. "Last night

did go as well as expected. Given the circumstan-"

"Silence," Metallia hissed. A blaze of power struck all

occupants, drawing a thin line of blood on their cheeks. Jedeite

staggered, but Zoicite and Nephlite held him up. "Weak excuses, is

that all that you can offer me?"

Kunzite's gaze hardened. "You must understand, Metallia, that

Alpha was completed a lot faster than our best expectations but was

not fully functional when we encountered Omega."

"I must understand?" Another whip of power and, with it,

another gash on the cheek. It was barely above a whisper, but caused a

ripple of fear running down the spines of all the room's other

inhabitants.

Rose took a step forward, all her previous nervousness gone.

She had taken all of her best qualities, those that made her human,

and locked them away just so she could survive this briefing. "May I

speak, Metallia?"

The white eyes regarded her with skepticism. "Speak, doctor,

before I rip your tongue out for your audacity."

Bowing her head slightly, Rose left out the heart salute of

loyalty, as was her custom. Metallia didn't like it, but Rose sure as

hell wasn't going to pledge her loyalty to this monstrosity. Of

course, it would make the ruler even angrier. Rose could be awfully

stubborn sometimes. "Project Alpha was only online for a week. His

first mission was to identify and locate Omega. He has completed this

task perfectly. The loss of the Crimson Flame is regrettable, but

under the circumstances, Project Alpha exceeded expectations." It was

stoicism at its best.

"Failure is still failure," Metallia said tonelessly.

"Glittering it up won't make any difference. The Crimson Flame was

lost to us. Omega has only six steps left."

"But we know who Omega is," Nephlite said firmly. He hadn't

even bothered to wipe the blood off of his face. He continued to

support Jedeite. This meant that he had left out the heart salute.

Odd, it seemed none of the generals were too eager to pledge their

loyalty, barring Kunzite. At least, not when they knew that they were

probably going to get a good bout of punishment.

Kalkia stepped up next, her pale face expressionless. She

barely dipped her head. "Metallia, Alpha has demonstrated excellent

fighting skills. He was able to hold off Omega on his own, even with

only one week of training. He was also able to attract the interest of

Omega, making us that much closer to being able to destroy her. We

were damn lucky that we were able to design him so perfectly."

Metallia laughed mirthlessly. "You have failed and you talk

about sex as if that can save you?"

Kalkia clenched her jaw minutely before offering the cold

woman a smile. "It will, won't it?" She prepared for the blow and it

did come. Raw power lashed into her and hit her hard in her

mid-section. She fell to her knees and coughed blood out of her mouth

and onto the floor. She closed her eyes and no one moved to save her.

"I fail to see the perfection in Alpha's design," the cold

voice continued. "What good is a man who gets hard the moment he looks

at a woman?"

"Not just any woman," Zoicite quietly argued as they still

supported Jedeite. "Omega. Kalkia can teach him to control it and it

is only a matter of time until he kills her."

"We don't have a lot of time, Zoicite." There was a faint hiss

to her words that lashed across his face.

"If you keep damaging us and preventing us from training

Alpha, our time will only get shorter, dictator," Rose spat angrily as

she lifted Kalkia from her position on the ground. Her cold violet

eyes regarded the woman with no fear, no emotion whatever.

Metallia didn't disappoint. She rose from her seat, her entire

aura crackling with anger. Electricity began to be emitted from the

woman's large frame.

"DICTATOR! Insolent wretch!" She lashed at the doctor, causing

various gashes to appear, blood hitting Kunzite and Kalkia.

"The title fits, and you know it," declared Kalkia in a clear

voice. "You hinder our efforts with this shitty excuse for a

debriefing. Just get on with the torture like we all know you plan and

let us get back to fighting your war."

There was a painful lash directed at the auburn-haired doctor

and she crumpled to the floor. She was unconscious within seconds. An

inner voice in Rose winced and wanted to help Kalkia but Rose knew her

friend would be angry at her, so she kept her distance. Nephlite was

the only one to reach out to her. He gently let go of Jedeite and

picked her broken body up, cradling it delicately in his arms.

"Get on with it, Metallia," he said quietly and looked at her.

Very slowly he brought his fist to his heart, despite the fact he held

Kalkia, but it was a mockery of the formal salute.

"Esmeraude." Metallia said the name simply and the Enforcer

appeared. "You may pick two of my generals to play with for an hour."

The green haired woman grinned with glee. Endymion shuddered

in disgust at the knowledge of how much the woman was enjoying this.

She ran an appreciative eye over the group of males, all who cringed.

Licking her lips, she pointed her finger. "I want Kunzite and," she

paused, "Jedeite."

"NO!" cried Rose. "You'll kill him. You can't let that bitch

have Jedeite, Metallia."

Snarling, Esmeraude made a move to attack, but Metallia

stopped her with a wave of her hand. "She won't kill him, doctor. Just

play with him for awhile."

Rose looked at her friend, her mental garb of apathy falling

away. With Kalkia unconscious, it was hard to draw on her friend for

mental support in this. And as much as she hated what the four men had

become, she still thought of them as her friends. Kunzite could

withstand Esmeraude's torture, but Jedeite was always more mentally

softer than the silver-haired general. "She'll break him, mentally,"

she said softly.

Metallia laughed, this time her laughter caused knives of pain

to lance through all of them. "Perhaps, doctor," she said as she sat

back down on her throne. "Unless..." white eyes regarding her

carefully, "you can propose a suitable exchange? Alpha perhaps? That

would please Esmeraude greatly." The green haired woman fairly drooled

as she nodded enthusiastically.

Rose looked at Kalkia's unconscious form, at Nephlite tenderly

trying to fix her wounds, at Endymion, staring at the dark woman with

all the hate in the world in his eyes, at Zoicite, still supporting

the hurt Jedeite and at Kunzite, resolute acceptance in his green

eyes. Kalkia was going to kill her for this afterward, if she wasn't

already dead when it was over. "No, not Alpha." All conscious eyes

turned to her. Rose stood, her spine straight. "Myself."

Endymion clenched his hands into fists and glared at Rose.

'You don't have to do this!' he insisted. 'I'm strong enough to handle

whatever she does!'

'Yes I do. You're too young, Endy. Besides, it is my fault.'

Esmeraude clapped her hands like a young child at a

elebration. She walked forward and laughed quietly, "Oh the fun games

we'll play with just the three of us."

Kunzite didn't even look at Rose, he just stood there. A

moment later he placed a fist over his heart. "As my Queen wishes," he

said calmly. "Esmeraude may have her hour."

Nephlite looked up at him and then back down at the broken

body in his arms. "If that is all, then we will take leave of our

Queen."

Metallia smiled dangerously. "Oh no, my general. I haven't

forgotten the rest of you. Esmeraude might have the pleasure of an

hour with Kunzite and the doctor, but I believe that neither you nor

Zoicite have had that same pleasure. The doctor has traded Jedeite's

turn for herself so he'll be lucky enough to escape a second round.

Unfortunately, you two have no one to rescue you. Guards," she

summoned and instantly six dark clothed men went to surround Nephlite

and Zoicite. "Take the two generals to the torture chamber and allow

Esmeraude to play with them later, after she has finished with her

first guests."

Nephlite didn't struggle. Calmly, he handed Kalkia to Endymion

and left with the men, not saying a word. Zoicite, on the hand, cursed

angrily and glared at Metallia and Esmeraude as the guards yanked him

away. Endymion gave one last look at Rose, and when she nodded, he

left the room, carrying Kalkia.

The door closed behind him with such finality, leaving Kunzite

and Rose in the darkness. Rose linked her hand with Kunzite's and she

squeezed it fearfully as Esmeraude made her way to them, an

anticipatory grin on her face.

Alpha Medical Facility Seventeen, Alpha Headquarters, Alpha Prime

Endymion gently laid the mangled body of Kalkia on the medical

table. He brought the scanner to lie over her as he assessed the

damage. Metallia's power had been forced through her so violently that

it amazed him that she was still breathing. Her heart was beating

weakly and she had several gaping wounds.

He fixed those first, getting her heart beat stronger and her

blood system working properly. She was still continuing to bleed over

the table, however, for there were many organs that had been almost

completely eradicated. Next he fixed her lungs before moving to the

rest.

It was nearly an hour until he had all the internal damage

repaired. Next were her bones. Every major bone was broken and some

had pierced through the skin. He had to reset several, causing

additional pain and bleeding. Eventually he had everything aligned

correctly and all of her insides functioning. He turned to her mental

health and found that her brain functions had almost shut down.

He swore and immediately linked their minds. He had to wade

through several painful and unclear memories before he found the

pathways he needed to reconnect. With this much damage it was obvious

that Metallia had not meant her to survive and be functional

afterwards. It was lucky that he had been able to save her. He was

lucky that Rose had taught him the proper way to heal mentally prior

to this. He sure was getting a big chance to try out his newest

skills.

A hand clenched his wrist suddenly and he opened his eyes to

see her looking up at him. "Where is Rose?" she demanded.

He gazed at her, his blue eyes soft. "She's traded herself for

Jedeite. She's with Esmeraude, I'd imagine, for the few minutes left

in their hour."

Frowning, Kalkia sent out a probe with her mind, trying to

reach her friend. "I can't feel her, why is that?"

Endymion finished his mental repairs and leaned back from the

medical table. "She's cut off all access to her mind. She wanted to be

sure that she didn't leak her pain to anyone." He seemed distressed

for a moment. "She's even locked me out from helping her, warned me

that she didn't want Metallia discovering her powers if she lost her

control. There are to be no connections with her until she's safely

contained any leakage of power." He hated this, being on the

sidelines.

Trying to rise from the table, Kalkia found she could only

raise herself about an inch before her body collapsed back on the bed.

She hissed from the pain. "Damn it, help me up, Endymion. I have to

get to her."

Shaking his head, he pressed on her shoulder and forced her

back onto the bed. It was ridiculously easy. "No, doctor, I'm afraid

you're in no condition to help her. Your injuries are too extensive

for you to be much use to her anyways."

Growling, Kalkia shoved Endymion's hand from her shoulder.

"Damn it, Endymion, she's with Esmeraude. That bitch has been waiting

to get her hands on Rose for a long time. We have to save her now.

Don't just stand there, telling me how I can't do this. You're Project

Alpha, damn it. You're the most perfect weapon on the face of this

Earth. Do something!"

Endymion slammed a fist into the nearby table, splintering the

metal as if it was paper. He did not heed the blood running from the

deep gashes on his hand. "I want to, doctor. But she begged me,

implored me that I do nothing!"

Kalkia twitched slightly from the force of his outburst and

closed her eyes, for an instant it looked like she might actually cry.

"Tell me what happened from the moment I was hurt until you left." She

didn't cry. She just laid there, dejected.

"Nephlite picked you up and asked Metallia to let you leave."

Kalkia laughed bitterly. "Don't lie to me Endymion. No one

picked up this broken body. None of them would care if I died on that

floor. Except maybe Rose."

"He held you," Endymion insisted.

"Liar. Continue."

Endymion sighed heavily and did as she ordered. He recounted

the events, all the way up until Rose and Kunzite were left alone with

Esmeraude. Kalkia just laid there looking up at the ceiling blankly.

"It'll be more sexual then torture," she finally said. "She'll

probably try to get the two of them to fuck in front of her, or make

them both fuck her. With Zoicite and Nephlite it will be pain. She'll

have used up her lust for mental anguish and physical pleasure and

she'll just want the pain. We should prepare for that."

She tried to sit up but she really did hurt all over. "I need

Jonathon," she said after a moment. "He can help me get better--"

"The last time he saw you, he hit you. How long does it

normally take him to cool down?" Endymion shook his head firmly. There

was no way he was going to take a chance with her. He had only been

aware for a week, but somehow, like Rose, he had seen past the

abrasive exterior and into the delicate core that she kept tightly

concealed.

"At least twenty-four hours."

"I'm not willing to risk it. Teach me how to do it," he

insisted.

Kalkia looked into his dark blue eyes and then slowly nodded.

"Take my hand and clear your mind completely. Then think only of me

and nothing else. You have to focus on the healing and my body

completely or it won't work. Jon's able to do it because of his

obsession with me, because we're lovers. Endymion, we're not even

friends."

"I'll do it," he closed his eyes and did as she asked. Warmth

emanated from him and he moved it into her. It was a long time until

he was sure that whatever it was that they had done was completed. He

opened his eyes to see her body healed beyond his wildest

expectations.

She smiled slightly at him and sat up. "We need to get ready

for Rose and Kunzite." She slid off the table and began to undress.

She went to a locker and changed into a clean set of clothes. Endymion

kept his back politely turned towards her to give her privacy, even

though she obviously didn't care.

(WARNING: THE FOLLOWING SCENE CONTAINS VERY DISTURBING DEVELOPMENTS.

SCROLL THROUGH ALL SCENES WITH ESMERAUDE IF YOU WANT TO SKIP.)

Esmeraude smiled as the doors locked shut, leaving the three

of them alone in the sterile torture chamber. "Let's see," she said

with idle glee. She went over to one of the walls and picked up a long

knife. It had a serrated edge and curved upwards at the end. "You two

have managed to stay out of my chambers for far too long. I don't want

to rush this." She breathed in deeply, her breasts straining against

the leather of her dress.

Kunzite just looked at her blankly and didn't speak. He and

Rose were still holding hands, and the other girl's grip had gotten

incredibly tighter as the seconds passed. She looked up at Kunzite and

then back down at the floor. There was nothing that could happen here,

that he hadn't already done in his own bedroom. Esmeraude couldn't be

that creative...could she?

The green-haired Enforcer slowly made her way to the couple

and stood behind Kunzite. She took the blade and cut along his

uniform. It separated into two pieces and fell away from his shoulders

and arms. Along his back was a thin line of blood where the tip had

pressed into him. Esmeraude slowly licked the wound before running her

hands over his muscular back. She laughed softly and turned to Rose.

With a calm expression, she made a violent slash that

destroyed the top of her uniform. "I think," the Enforcer said

deliberately, "I want to see you on top of him; riding him until he

screams your name. Kunzy hates to be topped."

Rose shuddered and Esmeraude laughed. Desperately, Rose tried

to draw on her impressive mental control to wash away her fear and

become empty of emotion, but her fear was too great. Her breathing

began to speed up. Sex in any circumstance was repulsive to her

because of what had happened to her since her soul mate's death. Sex

in front of Esmeraude, the woman known throughout the world for her

more creative sexual feats was not any kind of progress.

"Of course, if you don't want to, we can move to more painful

forms of pleasure," Esmeraude suggest coyly, as if she was giving them

a choice. Neither party said anything. "Then I suggest you get out of

those restricting clothes. Now." She hopped up to sit on nearby table.

It took a moment, but Kunzite began to get rid of the rest of

his clothing. Rose was stunned for a moment and then with trembling

hands, began to pull away the top half of her uniform. Kunzite was

soon naked and just standing there. Esmeraude's eyes roved his body

hungrily since she was getting to see a sight that she had been

denied. Her gaze flicked to Rose.

"I could always remove it for you, doctor."

Rose swallowed her fear as best as she could and did as she

was told. She crossed her arms over her chest as she suddenly got very

cold.

"Lay down on the floor, Kunzite."

Rose looked over at the silver-haired man as he laid down. Her

one comfort at the moment was that he didn't have an erection. It was

a small comfort to know that he was not enjoying this in the least,

and normally men had no problem getting hard around naked women.

Esmeraude tsked. "Rose, I'm disappointed in you. After all the

times he takes you to his bed and you can't even excite him now."

"Hard to get excited when you're about to be topped," Kunzite

said idly as he looked at the ceiling. Esmeraude stalked over to him,

but instead of hurting him, she gripped him tightly in her hand. The

physical response was slow. Rose turned away when Esmeraude took him

in her mouth. It was much more effective and soon he was hard enough

for sex.

"Now, Rosey, get on him and fuck. I want a good show or I'm

telling Metallia I want another hour."

Tears threatened to spill. She did not want to do anything

that Esmeraude was telling her to do. But then, another hour with

Esmeraude and her shattered mind? Rose bit her lip so forcefully that

she drew blood. Her face was pale, her fists tightly clenched, forcing

all blood to leave them. She was going to be sick, the fear was so

overwhelming.

Esmeraude stood and walked to stand behind her. "I'm waiting,

doctor." She was getting a thrill off of the fear and it showed in her

face and her entire body. She rudely pushed Rose towards the ground

and Kunzite. The man caught her and gently rearranged her over him.

Lightly he held her waist. Slowly he smiled, and it was the playful,

comforting smile of her friend from years ago. With his eyes, he told

her that they would get through this together, no matter what happened

when they left this chamber. For this hour they would help each other

survive.

Even if survival meant fucking on a cold floor for a sadistic

bitch.

Omega Cell Headquarters, Alpha One Enclave

The small underground room of the Omega cell headquarters was

decked out fully in an array of colors, light and music. The members

of Omega cell were all in comfortable clothes, enjoying the fruits of

their efforts with joy and renewed hope in their hearts.

Demando placed a hand on Serenity's elbow. "Is something

bothering you, my child?" He handed her a drink, hoping it would help

eliminate the crease between her brows.

She accepted, giving him a quick smile before frowning again.

"Mentor, what is lust?"

Demando promptly sprayed out the wine he had been sipping when

she asked her question. Concerned, Serenity handed him a napkin. She

was completely unaware why her question had caused such a violent

reaction.

"Lust?" He coughed and attempted to clear his throat. "Why do

you ask, Serenity?"

She patted another napkin to his shirt, helping to remove the

wine. "Well, when I fought that dark-haired man back at Alpha Three, I

had the most curious physical and mental reactions. I've accessed my

knowledge banks and found that it falls under the description of lust.

But I only have a scientific definition. I wish to know more."

Demando choked for a few more minutes which drew the attention

of Ryo and Ami. "Doctor, are you alright?" Ami asked gently as he

wiped himself clean.

"I'm fine. Serenity just asked me a blunt question. That's

all," he convinced them and hopefully himself.

Ami looked at Serenity curiously. "What did you ask him?"

Before Demando could stop her, Serenity responded, "What is

lust?"

Ami just blinked several times and looked at Ryo, whose jaw

had dropped. The blue-haired scientist cleared her throat, "Perhaps

you should ask Minako or Rei. They could give you a good explanation."

Serenity tilted her head in confusion. "Is lust such a hard

concept to explain? I am sorely confused."

Having regained equilibrium, Ryo replied, "It is just that

lust is a very different experience for each person and very hard to

convey in words." He fought the urge to kick himself for sounding like

an idiot.

However, instead of laughing, Serenity smiled. "Ah, I see. So

lust is a mental and emotional incident, rather than a purely physical

experience."

"I think most men would probably prove that theory wrong,"

said Haruka as she approached the group. She grinned at Demando and

Ryo's glares of mock-hurt.

Ami had to laugh and she shook her head, causing the short

blue locks to swing back and forth. "There is a physical response,

Serenity. It's preparatory and imperative for sex."

"But this man and I were not preparing for sex," Serenity

stated firmly. "We were fighting."

"Another form of foreplay," Rei said dryly as she came up to

the group. She had overheard the conversation and thought that she

should make sure that Serenity's sexual education didn't come only

from men or men wanna-bes.

"Foreplay?" Serenity looked hopelessly confused.

"A word to describe the physical arousal needed for future

intromission," stated Ami.

Rei shook her head. "God, Ami, you make it sound like a

chore!"

"What sound like a chore?"

Rei looked at Minako, who had just joined the group, and

greeted the newcomer happily. "Finally, someone who can help. We need

to teach Serenity about attraction, lust, you know, the basics."

Minako raised an eyebrow. "And why would she need to know

about this?"

Rei grinned at Serenity. "Because our girl has the hots for

the tall, dark and handsome we saw back at the ball."

A large smile spread across Minako's face, making her seem

like a cat that had just swallowed a very, very large canary. She

pushed aside any doubts or strategic concerns and jumped on the

subject like a teenager. "Oooh, do we have a lot to teach you!"

Coughing, Demando interrupted the little scene. "Um, if you'll

excuse me, I think I'll leave. I have no wish to be here while you two

corrupt my heart-daughter's mind." He motioned to Ami and Ryo. "Come

on, let's go elsewhere and talk about less," he searched for a more

delicate word, "inflammatory things."

Both Minako and Rei laughed after him and before pulling

Serenity to sit down. "First, how did you know that you were attracted

that man?" Minako asked.

Serenity looked down at her hands which she had placed in her

lap. "I felt my body undergo several different physical responses,"

she looked back up at them. "I looked it up and the computer said that

I was lusting."

Rei nodded, "That makes sense," she said after a moment. "But

what kind of physical responses?"

"My breathing was shallow and my skin was flushed. I was hot

all over and my lower abdomen tightened."

Minako nodded, "That's arousal to a pin-point," she agreed.

"It's your body's way of physically preparing for sexual intercourse

with a man."

"But he and I weren't preparing to have sex." Serenity felt

the need to point that out to the two women as well.

Rei laughed quietly, "That's where the foreplay comes in."

Serenity's puzzled look caused both women to snicker.

Minako wiped a tear from her eye. Still giggling, she

continued the explanation. "Well, foreplay is the stage where there is

a heightening of pleasure for both participants. There is an

increasing accumulation of mental, physical and emotional pleasure."

Tilting her head, Serenity asked, "With what symptoms?"

Raising her hand, Rei began to tick off some points. "Heavy

breathing, sweat, increased heart rate, and if it's really good," she

grinned, "some screaming."

Alpha Interrogation Room, Alpha Headquarters, Alpha Prime

Rose shrieked at the top of her lungs.

Esmeraude looked at her and sighed with a bored look on her

face. Rivulets of blood ran down the naked body of her victim who was

chained to a grotesque piece of metal. There were lines of shallow

knife wounds along her back. "Does she always scream so easily for

you, Kunzite?"

The man was chained to the wall, he too, naked. He just raised

an eyebrow, "I don't kiss and tell."

"Bad boy...you shouldn't be stealing the Slut's lines now,

should you?"

"Leave...Kalkia...out...of...this...bitch," Rose managed to

say between gasps of air. "She's a lot better person than you are.

Hell, at least she's human, which is more than I can say for you!"

Esmeraude thinned her lips, her face darkening with anger. She

didn't like to be reminded that Kalkia was one of the few people she

desired to actually never be in her playroom. "She still has spirit,

I'll give her that." With that, she picked up a spike of hot metal and

grinned, her face lit in an eerie red glow.

Omega Cell Headquarters

"Screaming?" Serenity looked at her with wide eyes. "Why would

screaming be considered a good thing?"

Rei chuckled and couldn't help but smile, "Screaming in the

sense that you're making verbal sounds that you're enjoying yourself.

A lot."

Minako nodded, "There comes a point during sex that there is a

physical and mental release that gives your body a great deal of

pleasure. That's when the screaming comes in."

Serenity analyzed the new knowledge. "As in climax, correct?"

Both of the women nodded. Accessing her memory, Serenity began to

prattle off her knowledge. "Climax also includes the release of bodily

fluids."

Alpha Interrogation Room, Alpha Headquarters, Alpha Prime

Blood splattered on the floor but Nephlite just looked at the

Enforcer with a calm and controlled look to his eyes. The woman had

come close to chopping off his arm. His abdomen was sliced in several

different ways and he was losing vast quantities of blood.

Zoicite had already passed out from the pain and there was

still twenty minutes left.

'Damn you, Esmeraude, leave him alone!'

The force of the mental sending caused the woman to pause, if

only momentarily. "And why would I do that, Rosey?"

Rose glared from her position on the wall, through a film of

her own blood. The hour was up but Esmeraude had brought in Nephlite

and Zoicite without letting Rose and Kunzite go. She knew that

watching herself torture Nephlite and Zoicite would cause the doctor

more pain and since she couldn't damage her physically anymore, it

would be just as satisfying to hurt her mentally.

Rose tried to speak but her throat was still too raw from her

earlier screams. Seeing her struggle, Esmeraude smirked. "You're going

to watch me bleed him, Rosey, and I'll enjoy feeding from the pain

it's going to cause you." She picked up an electric stun gun, only

this version was for torture. She laughed as she placed it on

Nephlite's body, bathing him in a blue blanket of electricity.

Nephlite didn't scream, he just gritted his teeth and held onto

consciousness as best he could. Esmeraude finally rolled her eyes,

wanting the brunette to scream or make some sound of pain. With a

sigh, she went back over to Zoicite and lifted his head. Slowly, she

brought up a rudimentary club. She rammed it into his stomach.

He threw up all the contents of his stomach and retched on the

floor. He was close to death. Risking her sanity, Rose connected

herself with both Nephlite and Zoicite and prayed to see another day.

Omega Cell Headquarters

Laughing, Minako gave Serenity a one armed hug. "You'll

understand all you need to know about sex one day, Serenity. By that

time, you won't need to ask us anything about it, you'll just know."

Suddenly, Luna's gentle hand on Rei's shoulder got all three

women's attention. "May I have a word with you all," she said in her

quiet voice, slightly raised to be heard over the music.

"What's wrong, Luna," asked Rei, her eyes instantly showing

her attentiveness.

"It's about the man that Omega was attracted to, back at the

museum. We have reason to believe that that was Project Alpha."

Alpha Interrogation Room, Alpha Headquarters, Alpha Prime

As soon as the chronometer indicated that time was up,

Endymion barreled into the room, Kalkia not far behind him. The site

that greeted their eyes was horrific. Both Rose and Zoicite were

slumped over, unconscious and bleeding profusely. Nephlite was glaring

at Esmeraude, from his position near Zoicite. His legs were broken.

Kunzite, for his part, was powering up his aura, despite his weak

state. Esmeraude was still holding a bloody blade, her expression

surprised.

"Damn it, spoil all my fun," pouted Esmeraude. "I wanted to

get a few more licks in on Kunzite before you guys came," she said

with a smirk, just before Kunzite's build-up of power smashed into her

midsection and blasted her into the table.

"You'll never get the chance to touch me again, whore," he

rasped, right before he collapsed from exhaustion.

Kalkia initiated teleportation beacons on Zoicite and Nephlite

before going to pick up Rose. The two other Generals were transported

to the nearby medical facility. Endymion went to Kunzite and unchained

him. As they walked out, Kalkia shot an angry glare at Esmeraude.

Raw Power slammed into the green-haired woman's body and

slammed her up against the wall. She had to shield herself when

several of her instruments came crashing down. "I hope you lose an

eye," Kalkia spat and then pulled her friend out of the torture

chamber.

Within no time at all, Kalkia had Rose on the regeneration

table and Endymion was healing the wounds on Kunzite as best he can.

"They'll live but if we want a full recovery it's going to take a lot

of energy," he said after a moment. "The generals' bodies will be able

to heal the wounds, given time." He joined Kalkia at Rose's bedside.

"Let's get Rose well and then she and I can take care of the

rest of them." Kalkia just touched her friend's face and a tear

dropped from her face to the raven haired doctor's. It was only one

tear, but the suddenness of it caused Rose to wake up.

She made an attempt to speak but all that came out was a harsh

croak.

"Shh, Rose," Kalkia soothed and placed a hand on her friend's

cheek. "Don't talk."

'You're all better.' Rose mental voice was soft, very quiet,

and both Endymion and Kalkia were able to hear it. They shot each

other a look. It was pretty bad if Rose's control was that weak.

Kalkia squeezed Rose's hand gently, careful not to aggravate

her bruises. 'Yeah, I'm a tough girl. Metallia couldn't keep me down

for long.'

Soft laughter filled their minds. 'I know, Kalkia, you always

were stronger than me.' Her eyes fluttered as Rose tried to combat the

darkness that was calling to her.

Endymion grabbed her other hand. 'Doctor...Rose, you can't

fall asleep.' He grew alarmed when her mental shields began to

fluctuate. Instantly, he drew upon his own powers and began to erect

his own walls around her mind, keeping her powers hidden from

Metallia.

'She can't keep up her mental blocks. She's fading, fast.'

Realization dawned. "You linked with the rest of them when

they were being tortured, didn't you?" Kalkia was so angry that she

didn't even bother to send it mentally.

Rose looked away. 'She was going to break them. I couldn't let

that happen.'

Horrified, Kalkia dropped Rose's hand. "Damn it, Rose, damn

it!" She slammed her hands on top of a nearby instrument stand.

"They're enhanced enough to handle that type of abuse. You're not. You

could have died!"

'She would never leave someone to suffer when she can do

something about it, doctor.' Endymion kept his gaze upon Rose, his

blue eyes watering. Was this sorrow? Smiling, Rose tried to lift her

other hand to cup Endymion's cheek. Seeing her falter, Endymion guided

her other hand with his own free hand, not letting go of the hand he

already was clasping.

'You cry, Endymion. You hurt. I'm sorry to have inflicted

those emotions on you, but I can't help feeling a sense of hope.

Perhaps you won't be that mindless killing machine Metallia wanted.'

She looked away. 'Where are the others?'

Kalkia was briskly going through all the standard medical

procedures and moving at incredible physical speed. Already she was

using her ability to force Rose's body to stop destabilization.

"Kunzite's on the bed next to you and Zoi and Nephlite are in another

medical bay. Once you're well, we can take care of them." She looked

at her friend firmly, "And no arguing with me. I'm pissed, Rose. I'm

so pissed that if you weren't dying then I'd kill you myself."

Endymion closed his eyes and did his best to hold the mental

shield around Rose's own. She had to make it through, she was his

closest friend. He needed her to make it through.

'Just hold my hand, Endy.' Convulsions began to rack her body

again. It was a race against time now, Kalkia trying to stabilize one

system after another, while Endymion sat by her side, rebuilding her

failing psyche.

And after Rose there were four more men who needed more

medical attention than any single person alive could give them. It

was going to be a long night.


	6. Chapter Five

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon is the property of Takeuchi Naoko  
and various other entities. Plot and original characters of  
Kalkia and Rose are the property of The Rose Society and  
Kayla Chavi.

Alpha's Omega  
Chapter Five - DRAFT  
By: Kayla Chavi and The Rose Society  
Rating: R  
Email: http(colon)/www(dot)wishing-blue(dot)net/kii/

Note: indicates shifts from dream state to reality and  
vice versa

Omega Cell Headquarters, Alpha One Enclave

Rei settled against her bed, wearily. The night had been long,  
but at least it was fun. Now that the celebration was over,  
and everyone had seperated to their respective bedrooms,  
Rei found herself thinking. When she and Minako were  
explaining sex to Serenity, it had brought up a lot of memories of  
her own past, things that Rei had tried to forget. But it was  
impossible to forget the love of your life, no matter if that love  
was now the enemy.

With a soft whimper, she buried herself into her tangle of  
blankets. She wrapped them tightly around her and curled into a  
small ball. Maybe for one night she could pretend that he was  
thinking of her the way she thought of him. Maybe she could  
dream that they were still in love and able to share dreams.

She fell asleep thinking of him. Her dreams did in fact turn to  
him, but that wasn't too surprising, for she tended to dream of him  
on a regular basis. But this time, the dreams involved more memory  
then she would care to admit.

"I still don't think you have any basis of proof to make such an  
irrational assumption," Rei was looking at the debate Captain with  
a fiery frustration in her eyes. They were debating in front of the  
class, one of the few higher level classes she had in this Alpha school.

The debate captain was a tall, thin blonde boy with entrancing  
blue eyes. He had half of her Level obsessed with him. He was two  
levels ahead of her, but they still had the same debate class. She had  
wanted to be captain, but he had beat her in several debates. Her  
score was point zero three behind his. If she won this argument, it  
would only be point zero one.

Jedeite raised an eyebrow, "How is it irrational, Lt. Hino?" he  
asked calmly, but his own blue eyes burned with an inner fire. He  
was just as passionate about their arguments as she was.

"It's a completely biased assumption, made using your personal  
emotions on the subject rather then using logical facts and your head."

He smiled. "I am using my head. Care to ask which one?" The  
class laughed at the crude joke, but the teacher didn't interrupt the  
Captain.

Alpha Medical Facility, Alpha Headquarters, Alpha Prime

Kalkia gritted her teeth. With her mental shielding almost wiped  
out, Rose was unable to keep the four generals from latching on to her  
mind. They were all now inextricably linked and they were draining  
each other, pulling each other closer and closer to death. Kalkia had  
been forced to make a mental connection with Rose, as Endymion had.  
While Endymion was keeping the shielding in place, Kalkia was  
working with Rose to gain access to the generals' soulmates, needing a  
powerful amount of energy to keep all of them from dying. They were  
accessing the memories of the women, hoping that they would be able  
to bridge the energy threshold.

Omega Cell Headquarters

"If you can't see it, then you're blind!" An irate girl of about fourteen  
was standing and just simply yelling at Rei. Her auburn hair was  
impossiblty curly and held up in a messy horse-tail. "I can't believe that  
you pushed him away after he kissed you! You're all he talks about!"

Rei looked away angrily, "He had no right to take advantage of me,  
Skye."

The girl huffed and wrinkled her nose. "You're just a bitch. I don't  
want you near my heart-brother ever again."

"Kalkia, stop it." Jedeite had heard the commotion and come to stop  
the arguement. His face was still slightly red from the slap he had received  
only a half an hour ago. Seeing the mark made Rei look away in guilt.  
"Just leave her alone, okay?"

He took the other girl's hand and meant to pull her away from Rei. Rei  
bit her lower lip and took a step forward. "Jedeite...I'm...I'm sorry," she  
said quietly and looked down at the ground.

"There," Kalkia said smugly, "That wasn't hard."

Jedeite chuckled and kissed Kalkia's cheek before playfully pushing her  
out the door. He looked back at Rei. "I meant it, you know," he said  
seriously. "What I said before. I think it would be grand if they told us we  
could be genetic mates."

Rei raised an eyebrow, "But what if we can. For the love of Alpha, we  
don't even get along!"

"Are you so sure about that," he asked as he stood right next to her. "I  
can feel how your heart races when I come near. It is the same for me.  
Are you absolutely positive that you feel nothing for me?" He ran a gentle  
hand down her cheek and along the side of her neck.

Rei stared, transfixed. His face was so close that she could feel his  
warm breath against her forehead, blowing strands of her hair. She could  
hardly breathe, his closeness to her pulling something in her.

"I told you before that you mesmorized me, bewitched me," he  
whispered, his lips were only a breath away from hers. "Can you honestly  
say it wasn't the same for you too?" His hand moved into her hair to hold  
the back of her head. Her body moved closer to his and she put a hand  
on his shoulder to push him away.

"Jedeite, I told you...we're completely wrong for each other. We're too  
young to even be lovers. . ."

"Please don't fight me, Rei," he begged softly. "Please just let me kiss you."

"Jedeite--"

"Can you not even kiss without an argument?" As he spoke his lips  
brushed against hers and caused a fire to shoot through her body. His  
question stunned her and without her wanting it to, her hand moved to cup  
his jaw. They were so close that their bodies were almost touching.

"We can't.." she insisted one last time.

"Yes," he said firmly, "We can." Then their lips met completely and he  
pulled her all the way into his embrace. The kiss was soft yet sensual, and  
even though it didn't get deep or even involve tongues, it was still passionate.  
Rei pulled away to look in his eyes and she never saw such a raw look of  
emotion.

It made her own violet eyes widen. She didn't fight him as he tucked her  
neatly into his arms and cradle her head against his neck and shoulder. He  
placed a gentle kiss on her forehead and just held her.

It was nearly paradise. But they weren't satisfied with just that. She led  
him back to her school quarters. Urgent kisses led to hands removing  
clothing. Skin touched skin as their bodies joined in the most basic of  
human activities, and the most beautiful. At the peak, their hearts soared  
together, higher and higher into the heavens.

The dream was so vivid. Rei could practically feel his hands upon her  
heated skin, the way the warmth pooled in her body at his touch. She  
whimpered, her eyes still closed as her body reacted to the dream, her  
passion spiraling out of control.

Kalkia smiled. Her part for Jedeite's soulmate was over. She had  
gathered the sexual climactic energy and poured it into the blonde general,  
healing his body as best as she could. Now, it was Rose's turn. She was  
now activating Rei's most powerful emotional memories, gathering the  
energy for the healing.

"You what," asked Rei in a whisper. She could not believe what he  
was telling her.

"I've pledged my loyalty and service to Metallia, the head of Alpha,"  
replied Jedeite, his voice flat and empty.

"WHY?" She could barely keep her anger in check. This was just  
too horrible to understand. "How could you join the most evil force in the  
world?" Her rage began to boil over and she clenched her fists,  
taking a step closer to the man she loved.

"You wouldn't understand, Pyre," he turned away, almost as if he were  
pained. But that was not possible. With Metallia's enhancements,  
he was beyond the finer emotions of humanity. At least, that was what  
Rei and Jedeite wanted to believe.

She slugged him, a right cross to the jaw. His head snapped to one side.  
"Understand that, Jed."

His once blue eyes, now icy-green, smoldered as he touched his  
bleeding lip. Growling deep in his throat, he launched himself at Rei,  
grabbing her wrists in his own hands. He bore her to the ground, using his  
weight to keep her legs underneath him.

As she struggled violently against his hold he slammed her wrists over  
her head. Her astonishment made her just lay there for a second. Then,  
stupidly, she began to cry. She closed her beautiful violet eyes and began  
to cry. Tears fell into her hair as she just lay there crying.

Jedeite watched her for a long moment. "Oh fuck," he whispered  
sharply and then kissed her. It was almost brutal and very forceful.  
It was completely unlike any of his previous kisses or caresses. Rei just  
returned the kiss, willing that this all be a dream, a horrifying nightmare.  
If she kissed him hard enough, passionate enough, it would end and  
she'd wake up in his arms.

As it was, they were losing their clothes at a rapid rate. There was  
nothing gentle about any of the way they touched. He began to whisper  
intelligable words as he began to move inside her. The only thing she  
understood was, "We can make this work. We have to make this work."

It was pleasurable for the first part because he knew her body well.  
Then he began sliding in and out of her with such force that she knew  
she was going to bruise, maybe even bleed.

With the first scream of pain he stopped cold. In a quick and  
pain-filled movement, Jedeite pulled out of her and stood. He left her  
lying on the floor as he rebuttoned his pants and pulled his shirt back on.  
He was shaking visibly and all she could do was watch him through the  
curtain of tears.

"Damn it all to hell," he slammed his fist into the nearest wall, leaving  
a hole. "We're over, Pyre. Unless you swear to Metallia, we're over."

She tried to sit up and clutch the top of her uniform to her chest.  
"You know I can never do that, Jed," she swallowed and it hurt as bile  
went down her throat. "God..." she actually used the name of a diety  
that was no longer worshipped. It showed how much she was pulling  
away from Alpha. "God, you almost raped me."

"Get over it," he said and turned his back to her. Inside he was dying.  
He had nearly killed her and she had no idea. If that's what making love  
--no, sex, was going to be like for him, then he wasn't going to do it. He  
would never hurt a woman in bed. No matter what changes Metallia  
made, she would never make him kill a lover who warmed his bed.

"Get over it?" she looked at him disbelieving. "Jediete, tell me why...  
please..."

"You wouldn't understand, Pyre."

And then he left her, cold, naked, and bruised. He didn't even look  
back.

She wanted to cry, but she had a job to do. Gathering as much of  
Rei's emotional strength as she dared, Rose plunged it into Jedeite's  
mind from afar, maintaining the link for as long as possible. When she  
was certain that Jedeite would be able to heal any other damage on his  
own without draining his powers, Rose cut the link between him and  
Rei, letting the woman finally get some undisturbed sleep. One down,  
three to go.

Ami sighed dismally as she plopped onto her couch. The party had  
been fun and enjoyable. Serenity had been innocently cute and amusing  
and she had danced for the first time in ages. Ryo had approached her  
again about a mating, but yet she refused him one more time.

It hadn't been because he wasn't handsome or entertaining, no those  
weren't the reasons for her refusal. It had simply been that he was not  
Zoicite. He was not the tall yet small man that had cradled her in his  
arms nearly seven years ago.

She blinked and titled her head thoughtfully. Had it really been  
almost seven years since she had heard his voice? With a troubled sigh  
she got up and quickly got into bed. She pushed him out of her mind.

But not out of her dreams.

"Your callibrations are off. You need to remake your pipettes"  
a smug voice cut through her intense concentration. The blue haired  
girl looked up and blinked several times. Her dark eyes found the tall  
young man that was standing in front of her work station.

She frowned at him, "I don't recall asking your opinion on my pipettes."

He grinned at her, wickedly. "I'd love to you show you my pipettes  
sometime, Blue." He winked at her. He paused, surprised. What had  
possessed him to be so bold? He hardly ever made any sort of advances  
on members of the opposite sex. Heck, he barely spoke to anyone besides  
the few friends he had in his higher Level classes. But seeing the beautiful  
blue haired girl in his lab class studiously measuring her chemicals...  
something in him forced him to speak up.

Giggling was heard in his head. 'Rose? Did you do that?' He frowned  
mentally.

'Yeah, Zoi. It's time to get your pasty behind into the dating game. I  
want you to be happy. Now, stop talking to me and pay attention to the  
beautiful woman in front of you!' The link blinked out after a wave of  
support reached him.

Ami's eyes widened considerably as she looked at him for a solid  
minute. Finally she closed her mouth and turned a bright red. "I'm not  
interested in your pipettes," she managed to say calmly. She looked  
down at her instruments and frowned. The idiot was actually correct.

She wrinkled her nose and took off her gloves so she could fix them.  
Warm hands came over her own and she jumped. Why under the  
smoky skies was he still here?

"I'll do it," he said still grinning. "I've had practice."

"Oh really?" she tilted her head, "Lots of experience?"

Ami blushed, even in her sleep. She swore afterwards that she had  
been possessed by a demon, for uttering those things. She had never  
lost control like that before, not in front of a man before. But the  
attraction was undeniable. They began to spend more and more time  
together, working on various labs together. They became fast friends  
and even more. It all began with a situation not unlike their first meeting.

Both of them worked in silence. The tension in the room was almost  
physically visible. During the last lab session, Zoicite had given Ami a kiss  
goodnight. But he had lingered just a little longer than was appropriate,  
and both of them felt the passion that flared between them. But they were  
scientists, first and foremost, and they had a professional relationship.  
Partners did not rip each others' clothes off and have wild, untamed sex.  
Did they?

Ami eyed Zoicite secretly. She wanted him, badly. As much as it was  
a surprise to her, it would be more of a surprise to him. Never had Ami  
ever felt such a need for a man, such attraction, such love. It was almost  
overwhelming her senses.

"--ok?"

She shook her head, clearing her thoughts. "What? I'm sorry, I wasn't  
paying attention."

"That was obvious," Zoicite said wryly. "I was asking if you were ok.  
You seemed kinda spacey."

"Kiss me," Ami blurted out. Embarassed, she clamped both hands  
over her mouth, her blue eyes wide.

"Wh...WHAT!" Zoicite was flabbergasted. His sweet little Blue,  
demanding a kiss?

Something in Ami pushed her to continue. Dropping her hands, she  
looked Zoicite directly in the eyes. "I said, kiss me."

Zoicite began to back away. "Uhh...Blue, you must be sick, yeah  
that's it. You're sick and you need to see a doctor right away."

Grabbing the lapels of his lab coat, Ami hauled Zoicite flush with her  
body. "You're a doctor, Zoicite. Why don't I see you?" she asked with  
a raised eyebrow. She pulled him even closer and pressed her lips to his.  
He stayed there for a stunned moment and didn't do a thing.

Then with a burst of passion his arms locked around her and he lifted  
her small form off of the ground to bring her closer to his height. Her  
hands threaded through his hair and pulled it out of the messy pony-tail.  
They continued to kiss for several minutes before Zoicite pulled away,  
completely out of breath.

"Are you feeling better?"

"Shut up and let me examine your pipette," she teased with a throaty  
laugh. He had no idea she could manage that kind of a laugh,but she did.  
He looked at her intently for a moment. He initiated the next kiss and with  
a sweep of his arm, cleared the lab table of all its contents. She was  
already pulling at his pants and lab coat as he sat her down. They managed  
to get rid of the majority of their clothing before he joined her on the lab  
table.

During the afterglow, Ami knew she had been wrong.

Partners did rip each other's clothes off and have wild, untamed sex.

Raising an eyebrow, Kalkia snickered. Who knew that pasty assed  
Zoicite could be such a passionate lover? She might have to rethink her  
impressions about the more mild-mannered doctor. A mental jab got her  
attention. Rose was frowning at her, telling her to continue with the healing  
process. With a sigh and one last snicker, Kalkia pushed the energy into  
the doctor/general and let Rose take over.

Ami whimpered in her sleep. She missed those days, where she was  
young, in love, and free. But it wasn't to last very long. Soon, her thoughts  
turned to that day where she lost her love, her heart, and her dreams.

She was at the lab room early, wanting to make sure that it was one,  
empty, and two sterile enough for whatever activities might take place.  
She hadn't seen Zoicite for nearly a week and she had missed his quiet  
presence terribly. The door opened signifing his arrival and she looked  
up with a smile.

He just nodded at her and put on his lab coat before walking over to  
the experiment. "Mizuno," he said formally and began to tinker with the  
instruments. He didn't say anything for a long moment so she just  
shrugged. There must have been something that had happened to make  
him so quiet. She went over to help him, to lightly place her hands over  
his as was their routine, when he pulled his hands away before she got  
there.

She blinked, incredibly bothered by this sudden abruptness in him.  
She collected herself and they went through the experiment. It was odd.  
He didn't touch her in the least. He kept the lab table between them and  
jotted down the results at the end. "If that's all" he said with a wave of  
his hand.

When she didn't answer him, he moved to go put his lab coat away.  
She stopped him by lightly catching his sleeve. "Zoi, is something  
wrong?" she asked quietly.

"Of course not, Mizuno," he briskly brushed her hand away so he  
could take off his coat.

"Then why aren't you calling me, 'Blue'?" she asked softly.

He didn't look at her. "Because, it's over, Mizuno. I've got a new job  
and I don't want to take any excess emotional baggage with me. Now,  
if you'll excuse me," and he turned to exit the lab.

Ami felt cold all over. What in the world was happening? "What do  
you mean, it's over," she asked in a whisper. Her first love, her eternal  
love, was walking away from her and she couldn't help but feel as this  
were all a nightmare.

"You're smart, Mizuno. Metallia has offered me a job with Alpha as  
their chief of medicine and research. I'm leaving the Alpha school for a  
better life," he paused. "I'll see you around, Mizuno." He left the lab,  
closing the door with a quiet click.

Ami stood for an eternity, before the tears began to fall. She slid to  
the cold floor, sobbing. Her lab coat absorbed her tears, heedless of  
her sorrow.

Rose gently coaxed Ami's emotional energy out of her. It was  
horrible, using people like this, but they were soulmates with the  
generals and there was no other way. Perhaps one day, she could  
convince herself that this was the right thing to do, but it couldn't be  
now. With a practiced hand, she guided the energy into Zoicite, gently  
wrapping the warmth of his soulmate around his wounded psyche.  
When she was done, she smiled and let both fall into a deep, dreamless  
slumber. Just two more to go.

Makoto had not been at the party. She didn't enjoy social gatherings  
that much. Instead, she had been looking at a map all night trying to  
figure out the location of the next artifact. She was so exhausted that  
she fell asleep in her chair.

She really hadn't intended to dream.

"Chocolate. She wants chocolate so I'm giving her chocolate. I'm  
risking my ass for chocolate," a tall man with wavy chestnut hair was  
rummaging through the cupboards of the large kitchen and he was very  
intent on his mission to find chocolate. He was so intent that he didn't  
see the tall and formidable woman who happened to be star chef,  
standing behind him.

"It's in the second storage unit to your left," she called out helpfully.

"Thanks!" he said and went to get it. He suddenly paused and stood  
there for a moment before turning around.

The woman laughed at his stunned expression. "Hello."

"Um, see, now I didn't want to be out breaking curfew and stealing  
food from the kitchen, but my heart-sister Kalkia had an enormous  
craving for chocolate and she threatened to start wailing if I didn't get  
some for her and there isn't any other place open at this hour and I  
figured that the kitchen would have some cho--" Nephlite was going  
to kill Kalkia for this.

Makoto raised her hands. "Whoa whoa, calm down. First of all,  
I'm not going to bust you for breaking into the kitchen and breaking  
curfew." She grinned and stuck out her hand. "I'm Makoto, by the  
way."

Nephlite looked at her hand suspiciously, but her grin won him  
over. "Nephlite," he said, shaking her hand heartily.

"Now, if your heart-sister wants chocolate, you've come to the  
right place. I'm the best chef in my Level. Does this Kalkia like fudge?"  
Her emerald eyes sparkled with mischief.

Nephlite grinned. "You bet. I'd owe you one if you could cook her  
up a batch."

Winking, Makoto set out to make her famous fudge. "I'll remember  
that promise. I always collect on my debts."

"Always?" he asked and caught her green eyes with his pale brown.

She winked at him. "Always." She went to make the chocolate fudge.  
"So do you always go running around after curfew for this sister of  
yours?" she asked.

Nephlite groaned, "Unfortunately. However, she just discovered a  
new boy and I think he'll have her attention for the next few days. But  
tonight she insisted on chocolate."

Makoto laughed and was soon finished with the fudge. "Here, have a  
piece," she grinned and held a small square between her fingers. Nephlite  
smiled and gently took her wrist and ate the fudge right from her hand. He  
then teasingly licked the fudge off of her fingertips.

He gave a contented moan and looked skyward. "Amazing," he grinned.

Blushing, Makoto lowered her face until her brown ponytail slid to  
cover her face. Chuckling, Nephlite put a finger under her chin and tilted  
her face up so that he could fall into her eyes.

"Absolutely amazing," he breathed before he caught her lips in a slow,  
seductive kiss. She tasted so sweet, like the fudge he had just eaten. They  
broke for air, and Makoto raised her fingers to gently touch her bruised lips.

"Don't you have to get the fudge to Kalkia," she whispered.

"Forget Kalkia. She can go without fudge for tonight," he growled as he  
wrapped arms around Makoto and began another searing kiss.

The female brunette whimpered quietly in the kiss that was just as  
passionate as the previous one. She was completely surprised at what she  
was doing. While she wasn't a virgin, she simply did not sleep with men  
within the hour of meeting them. And they were definitely heading towards  
sex.

And they were going to do it in her kitchen.

It was actually sort of thrilling when she thought of it that way. She made  
no move to stop him as he pulled her apron and uniform away, and she  
even helped him out of his shirt. She unbuckled his pants, and in her haste,  
knocked some melted chocolate onto her. Nephlite smiled and laid her to  
the ground gently.

He then placed his mouth over the chocolate covered skin. Makoto  
giggled quietly when he tickled her as he ate away the chocolate and then  
dribbled the remander over his shoulder and chest.

"Am I still going to owe you?" Nephlite teased as they lay on the floor,  
exhausted and covered with several different things. They had managed to  
knock over some cream and fruit as well.

Kalkia humphed. Well, that would explain why she didn't get any  
chocolate that night. And the reason for Nephlite's sudden giddiness after  
the whole incident. Soulmates were like that though. That first meeting, that  
undeniable attraction...it was as if magic had struck. Of course, it went  
beyond a sexual attraction. It was a melding of minds, of hearts, of souls. A  
very powerful pull that no one could fight. With a shake of her head, she  
gathered as much energy as possible and healed her former heart-brother, a  
wistful look on her face. Did she miss...no, that wasn't possible. She didn't  
care anymore.

Sighing, Rose wanted to beat some sense into Kalkia, but she couldn't.  
She had a job to do.

Makoto had finished cleaning the kitchen hours ago, and yet she was  
still waiting. He wasn't there and normally he came at the same time about  
every other night or so. They would talk, laugh, and then make love. The  
food was optional of course, but they had done some seriously kinky things  
with the food.

It made her smile to think of it and sent shivers down her spine. She had  
prepared something that night just to see how creative they could get.  
Sighing heavily, she looked up at the chronometer and wrinkled her nose.  
He wasn't here and it was getting extremely late. Yawning, she contemplated  
leaving a note, just in case he did come, but she decided against it.

She didn't want all her little helpers knowing about her affair with a high  
commanding officer of Alpha. She didn't need another wide-eyed child trying  
to guess as to why the kitchen was always a mess after they had cleaned it.

She bit her lower lip and considered going to his quarters. She had been  
there often enough and they had made love there several times, but it just  
wasn't the same as the kitchen.

Another hour passed and she gave up. She left a flour rose in the center  
of one of the counters to tell him she had been there and then went to bed.  
She managed not to think about it the coming morning until one of her  
assistants rushed in late.

"Makoto, you have to look at the news announcement," she exclaimed.  
"Metallia has appointed an Inner Circle and crushed the rebellion at Alpha  
Seven Enclave!"

Makoto blinked and looked at the screen. Standing there were four  
men and one woman. The woman was already known as the Enforcer and  
already scarier then hell. But it was one of the men that caught her attention  
immediately.

Nephlite.

Her mixing bowl clattered to the floor. A moment later, she followed it.

Makoto's heart was broken and Rose wept for her. It was awful, putting  
these women through the pain all over again. Why didn't Nephlite just tell  
her?

Because, he wouldn't be able to see her face as he broke her heart. It  
was better to let her think that he forgot her, thought of her as a fling, another  
midnight encounter. Better that then to let her know that he did love her and  
was forced into this because of that love. She would only blame herself.  
Pulling back from the memories, Rose did what she could for Nephlite's  
mind and relaxed when his own body began to take over the repairs. Her  
job was done. All that remained was Kunzite and his soulmate.

Taking the clip out of her hair, Minako shok her long blonde tresses free.  
She went into her bathroom to wash all of the make-up off her face and get  
ready for bed. Serenity was starting to grow on her, no matter how much  
she didn't want to like the young girl. That night's conversation of sex was  
just too funny for words.

As she rinsed off her face, she looked at the reflection of herself in the  
mirror and sighed. Without make-up, she looked several years younger.  
When she was sixteen she never wore any make-up, Kunzite had said--

She blocked the thought. All of Rei's crying over Jedeite had gotten her  
to dwell on the past. She pushed it aside. If there was one thing she knew  
for certain, it was that she didn't want to dwell on a past that had no future.

With a final sweep of her brush, she climbed between satin sheets.  
Almost immediately she was asleep. It was as if someone was waiting for  
her slumber so they could toy with her dreams.

If she heard one more person tease her about the stuck up, silver-haired,  
ice blue-eyed, captain of the weapons class, Minako was going to scream.  
Everyone who had hormones had a crush on him, and she was no exception.  
However, she wasn't broadcasting those hormones like the rest of the girls  
in her Level.

She walked through the miniture arboretum and heard voices and laughter.  
As she got closer she could see a girl with auburn hair straddling the lap of a  
silver-haired individual. They were obviously making out.

Minako's heart plummeted as she watched them make-out for a moment  
before turning to go. As fate would have it, a twig snapped under her boot.  
The couple stopped and the man called out.

"Is someone there?" He stood and placed the girl on her feet. Minako  
turned around and with a sigh of relief, realized that it wasn't him. It was  
another member of his level, but not him.

The girl giggled, "Naughty Minako, spying on two innocent people."

Minako blushed, "Sorry Kalkia," she said quickly and recalled that this  
was Kunzite's heart-sister. Kalkia grinned and kissed the other man,  
Sephiroth, if she remembered correctly, away.

"Go play war, I'm gonna have some girl talk."

It was then that the younger girl turned serious green eyes at her and  
Minako knew that she was in trouble.

"Where are we going, Rose," asked Kunzite as the younger girl  
practically dragged him along the hallways.

Giggling was his answer. "You'll see, Kunzite, you'll see." She stopped  
so suddenly that Kunzite practically plowed into her.

"Why haven't you been running around as usual, Kunzite?"

Her sudden question caught him off guard. "Excuse me?" He blinked  
in confusion.

She tilted her head and regarded her heart-brother for a moment.  
"You're the infamous heart breaking playboy of the campus, heart-brother.  
And yet, you haven't been breaking as many hearts this semester." She  
wrinkled her brow. "Why is that? Is it perhaps due to a certain blonde in  
your Weapons class?"

His stammering answered her question. Laughing, Rose tugged on his  
hand. "Come on, Kunzite, you can tell me. If you can't tell your own  
heart-sister, who can you? What is it about her that you love so much?"  
Without his realization, Kunzite and Rose stepped into the arboretum,  
taking a seat underneath a large weeping willow. This was one of the few  
places that they could see living plants and Rose loved to come here to  
think.

"Well, Minako is..." He was at a loss for words.

"Beautiful, sexy, wonderful, smart, funny," Rose supplied.

Kunzite nodded. "Yeah, she's all that. You remind me of her,  
sometimes, you know?" He tweaked her nose and Rose scowled.  
"Except for the sexy part."

Minako's eyes widened. Did Kunzite really think all that of her? And  
who would have thought that the stuck-up playboy of her Weapons  
class would be seen being chased by a laughing dark-haired girl?

The next day she got to the weapons class and was thoroughly  
confused. Between Kalkia and what she had witnessed, she was at a  
complete loss. Which isn't something good to be in when you're about  
to drill in front of the teacher.

She waited patiently for her name to be called and stepped out onto  
the mat to meet her opponent. "Kunzite, you're the only person with  
enough skill to give Minako a good workout," the teacher said in his  
high nasally voice.

Of course she would have to fight him, when she was dazed and  
confused no less. The silver-haired young man stood and stripped off  
his shirt (much to the delight of his audience), and went to meet her in  
the center of the classroom. He gave her a boyish, yet still very sexy  
grin and raised his sword.

"En garde," he smiled.

Their swords met with a clang, and she was very pleased that he  
didn't push her back like he normally did with all of his other opponents.  
She swung her sword in a high arc before doing a roundhouse. Kunzite  
rolled to the floor, having been knocked off balance and then quickly  
got in a crouch. He was now shorter than her, and his eyes at her  
breast line. Not really where she wanted him to be.

He rushed her and knocked her to the ground, sending her sword  
skittering across the cold metal floor. She looked up at him with a faint  
look of surprise before lashing out with a kick. His sword flew through  
the air and several students had to duck to avoid getting impaled.

For the next several minutes they fought hand to hand before Kunzite  
ended up tumbling her to the floor. He straddled her waist and grabbed  
her wrists, effectively imobiliziing her. She looked at him and swallowed  
nervously. He was sitting on her lower stomach and her hormones were  
acting up again.

"Surrender?" He asked, his mouth next to her ear, his breath causing  
delicious sensations up and down her body.

"Never," she replied and thus began their infamous courtship.

It was months into their relationship before they first made love. It  
was a tender, heartmelting experience that was followed with a passionate  
session of urgent embraces. When they reached the pinnacle of pleasure,  
Rose suddenly gasped in pain in her private quarters. She felt as if  
someone had set off fireworks inside her skull.

Concerned, Kalkia reached a hand out to steady her friend. "Are you  
ok?" Her green eyes looked her friend over, trying to ascertain what was  
wrong.

Rose grinned, after she blocked her mind. "I'm fine. And Kunzite and  
Minako are even better," she winked. "We make great matchmakers."

Kalkia smiled slightly, "Good work, yes, but we're not done." She  
looked down at the body of Kunzite and sighed heavily. "Are you sure  
we can't just leave him to rot?" she asked hopefully.

"Kal," Rose warned as she closed her eyes. "Just think of it this way.  
He'll owe you one."

"Like that matters," she mumbled and used the sexual energy she had  
gathered to hold his body functions stable as Rose did one last thing to  
pull his mind together.

Minako was surprised to see Kalkia run out of Kunzite's quarters in  
tears. The young girl had been missing for several months and she had  
assumed that Kalkia had been transfered to another school. To see her  
crying was surprising as well. Kalkia was known for the fact she could  
beat up any person who came along her path and she never publicly  
cried.

The blonde girl caught the auburn's arm gently. "Is something wrong?  
Is Kunzite okay?"

"He's fine," Kalkia said bitterly. "The best he's ever been in his entire  
life." She pulled her arm away, "I'll see you later, Minako." She ran  
down the hall. Perplexed, Minako hit the button on the outside of his  
quarters to announce she was there.

There was no answer. Puzzled, Minako pressed the button again  
and called out, "Kunzite? It's me, Minako."

There was silence for a moment before the doors slid open. Entering  
the room, Minako was surprised to find it dark and shrouded in  
darkness. She could see boxes all around the room, various items in the  
process of being packed. Was Kunzite leaving? But it wasn't time for  
him to graduate yet. She motioned toward the boxes. "Kunzite, are they  
moving you to different quarters?"

He was standing next to his bookshelf, putting his various novels in  
physical form into a box. He didn't look at her. "Something like that,  
Minako."

She shook her head. He was acting so coldly towards her. He was  
usually warm and caring, at least when they were in private. It was as  
if he was uncomfortable showing that side of him unless he knew he  
could trust you. "Why was Kalkia crying? I thought that she had  
transferred out of the school or was maybe sent to Alpha's special  
training center."

"Don't bother wondering about that whore." His voice was filled  
with such venom that Minako could only gape at him for the longest  
time.

"How could you call your heart-sister that name?" What the hell  
had happened between them? To Kunzite? He was acting like a  
person she had never met before.

He dropped what he was doing and went over to Minako,  
grasping her arms tightly. She gasped, but not because of the forceful  
way he was holding her. It was his eyes. They were no longer that  
cornflower blue so much like her own. They had changed, becoming  
that ice-green that so often marked those of the upper echelons of  
Alpha. "Your eyes, they're...green," she breathed, right before he  
kissed her, hard and unyielding.

It was when he drew blood that Minako awoke from her heady  
state. She slapped him hard, across the cheek and broke away.  
Putting a shaking hand to her bleeding lip, she glared at the silver-haired  
man. "You've hurt me." She studied him for a moment longer. "You've  
pledged your loyalty to Alpha, to Metallia the Dictator, haven't you?"

He smirked. "I am Metallia's top general, a member of the Inner  
Circle. The power she offered me, who could refuse?"

"ME! You should have refused, Kunzite!" Minako fought back tears.  
"Is that why Kalkia was crying?"

For a moment, he looked hurt, guilty. But then, that sneering veneer  
returned. "That whore is no better than a dog in heat. Alpha has made  
her loyal to the group."

She shook her head slowly, shocked. "You made your own  
heart-sister a slave to the Urge, didn't you?" She clenched her fist.  
"Answer me, damn it!"

"YES," Kunzite roared. "And if you continue to disobey Alpha, I will  
gladly order Zoicite to change you as well!"

Frozen, Minako felt her heart shatter into a million tiny pieces of ice.  
"I'd like to see you try."

He took a step closer to her but she punched him, not waiting to take  
a fighting stance, just punched him with all her strength. He crumpled to  
the floor, the wind knocked out of him, but still conscious. "That should  
have knocked you out," Minako said, surprised.

"You'll find me harder to hurt now, Aino," he sneered.

"No," she said softly, "I won't find out anything about you now.  
Goodbye, Kunzite." Minako turned on her heel and exited the his  
quarters. She bit her lip and ran down the corridor, heedless of who  
she knocked over, not even when she ran into a furious Rose.

Unfortunately for Rose, she didn't notice the blonde who slammed  
into her. She had to get to her heart-brother, her best friend. What  
had they done to Kalkia? And why hadn't Kunzite stopped it?

Rose cut herself off from the memory as quickly as possible. She  
had experienced enough of it to finish with the last few touches of her  
own mind as well. When she completed her job, she cut her  
connection with Kalkia and Endymion, and fell into a deep healing  
slumber.

"They're all stablized," Kalkia said quietly and pulled away. Endymion  
had watched them for the entire process with a feeling of awe. "Look,  
you can be here when he wakes up. I'm tired, I'll think I'll just go to  
bed." She left before he could say anything.

As the doors closed, Kunzite blinked himself awake. "What the hell  
just happened?" he muttered.

"Kalkia and Rose saved you," Endymion said softly, still holding  
Rose's hand.

Kunzite snorted, "Rose saved me, maybe, but Kalkia wouldn't do a  
damn thing." He sat up in bed and looked around. "Where are the others?"

"In another medical facility." Endymion tested Rose's mental barriers  
and found them sufficient. He drew his mind from hers and tenderly drew a  
blanket around her. She might be out of danger, but she still had a lot of  
healing to do after expending so much energy trying to save four other  
people.

Kunzite got off the bed, still naked. It didn't seem to bother him. He  
walked up to Rose's medical bed and looked at her face. Her coloring was  
still pale, her face somewhat pinched. Her wounds were still very apparent,  
her bare shoulders still sporting various lashes that disappeared underneath  
the blanket.

"Why do you hurt them? Why do you force them to work for the very  
monster that almost killed them," Endymion asked, his blue eyes boring into  
Kunzite's, as if demanding an answer. "She almost didn't make it you know.  
You guys would not have been healed so fast without Kalkia and Rose's  
help. Kalkia saved Rose's life and yet you still despise her. This would have  
never happened to Rose if she wasn't working for Alpha." He carefully  
squeezed Rose's hand as another spasm hit her muscles, her face contorting  
with pain. It was a side-effect of rapid healing but it didn't mean that it  
didn't hurt.

Kunzite ignored the glaring man. Instead, took Rose's other hand and  
gently cupped her face. "I don't know what Rose did to save us."

"Rose AND Kalkia," Endymion interrupted.

Kunzite continued as he never spoke. "But I found myself remembering  
what I did to her, that night she tried to talk to me about Skye's experiment."  
He moved a tendril of hair from her face. "I regret what happened, what  
always happens when I hurt her. But that is a part of myself that I cannot  
allow to survive. I try to avoid it, but I always end up sucked in by the  
darkness. She is a reminder that I was once human, a man. Not a monster."

Rose grimaced and Kunzite's aura flashed, soothing her pain. She smiled  
in sleep and gripped his hand even tighter. "I don't want to lose the one  
thing in my life that is good, Alpha. But I don't want to turn that good thing  
into evil." He turned his head and his green eyes turned back to his old pale  
blue. "Tell me, what would you do? What could you sacrifice?"

Endymion was quiet, not knowing what to say. Kunzite gave a small smile.  
"You see? When you can give me an answer, then you can lecture me. Until  
then, don't bother thinking about this." He placed a gentle kiss on Rose's  
brow, laid her hand back down by her side and turned to exit the room.

"What about Kalkia?" he asked before he could leave. "What's your  
excuse for torturing her?"

Kunzite stopped but didn't turn around. For a while, Endymion thought  
that he might not answer. "Kalkia is a whore," he said finally, "She wasn't  
innocent before the Urge, if that's what you think. She and Sephiroth had a  
very active sex life. She's intelligent and powerful. She needs to be  
controlled. There is nothing about Kalkia that reminds me of good or what  
I was before."

Endymion clenched his jaw, "So you saw if fit to treat her worse then  
you treat an animal."

"That's what she is."

"Do you really believe that?"

Kunzite didn't answer. He simply walked out of the room, still naked,  
but clothed in his own darkness and hell.

Nephlite awoke to the darkened figure of Kalkia standing over him.  
She was personally checking all of his vitals and making adjustments. He  
caught her wrist when she reached over him to remove a piece of medical  
equipment from his forehead. She looked down at him and blinked.

"You're awake," she said and tilted her head when he smiled up at her.  
It was the first smile she had received from him in a very long time.

"Yeah, I feel like I've been ripped apart and put back together very  
badly," he winced. She laughed quietly and pulled her wrist away.  
He just watched her work on him for a long time. "What happened?"

"Esmeraude got a little overzealous. Rose and I brought you back from  
mental hell."

"Oh. I knew I could count on you guys." He slowly sat up and she  
turned her back to him to look at a computer terminal. "Do I owe you  
chocolate?" he asked with a grin.

Kalkia froze and her entire body tensed. "Leave me alone, General."

"Kita, what's wrong?" he asked and swung his legs over the side of  
the medical bed. He touched her shoulder and she pulled violently away  
from him.

"Lay down and go to sleep," she said as she walked over to the still  
unconscious Zoicite. "I don't want you to do anything you'll be kicking  
yourself for later."

"Kita--"

"Go. To. Sleep." She wouldn't even look at him as he did as she said.  
He laid back down and as he did, his memories and thoughts sorted  
themselves out. He sighed heavily and sleep was the last thing that he  
wanted. He opened his eyes to see that her face was still its normal  
cold facade.

"Kita--"

"What?" she snapped.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be," she went to the door after taking off her lab coat and  
hanging it up. "Don't ever be sorry, Nephlite."

Author Notes:

RS: These are just the rough drafts of what was written of AO before Kayla  
disappeared. Final version is still pending.


	7. Chapter Six

Disclaimer: Do not own. Do not sue. 

Alpha's Omega Chapter Six - DRAFT

By: Kayla Chavi and The Rose Society

Rating: R

* * *

Omega Cell Headquarters, Alpha One Enclave 

Serenity looked at the Crimson Flame, her blue eyes reflecting  
the bright red jewel in its depths.

"Are you prepared," asked Demando. He was double checking  
various data collecting instruments while the rest of the science team  
readied medical instruments, in case they should be needed.

She looked at the man whom she regarded as a father. Nodding,  
she smiled to reassure the worried doctor. "Mentor, nothing will  
happen to me. This is the right artifact."

Frowning, Demando shook his head. "That's not what I meant. I  
know that you got the real artifact. It's the fact that I'm worried  
what the sudden power boost will do to your systems."

Taiki coughed politely. Both heads turned to him. "Doctor, you  
don't have anything to worry about. Serenity is very powerful and this  
is the only way she can summon the End. It is a necessary risk."  
He paused and gave Serenity a small smile. "You'll do well, Sere, I know  
you will." He walked away, off to do another battery of checks.

Haruka laughed quietly from the corner. She was lounging against  
the wall and looked rather comfortable. Rei rolled her eyes, "Demando,  
you worry about everything. I swear, you're worse than a father. Not  
that I remember mine or anything," she winked at Serenity.

The blonde girl smiled and looked at Demando. "You don't have to  
delay this. I'll be fine," she assured him.

Ami walked over with a rather large needle. She giggled at  
Serenity's horrified expression. "Another one?" Omega whimpered. "I  
promise that I'll be a good girl forever and ever."

"This is to make sure you can physically absorb the power when  
you take hold of the artifact. Now, hold still." Serenity closed her  
eyes tightly, making all the occupants of the room laugh at her  
childish nature. "See, all done."

She blinked her eyes open. "But I didn't feel anything!"

Ami beamed. "That's a mark of a great doctor." She winked and  
went to make some initial measurements.

Demando looked at Serenity. "Do you understand all that is about  
to happen, Serenity?"

Serenity nodded. "I am to hold the artifact in my hands. I will  
open a channel between myself and the artifact and it should be  
absorbed into my body and mind, becoming a part of me."

Demando nodded, pleased. He turned and looked at his team. Ami,  
Taiki, and Ryo all nodded from their places around the room.

"We're ready," Ryo said.

At Demando's wave, Haruka approached the medical table, the  
Crimson Flame in her hands. She hesitated slightly before she placed  
the bright jewel into Serenity's hands.

It floated right between her palms and she closed her eyes. A  
serene expression came over her features and the jewel began to glow  
as she opened the channel between her and the artifact. When she felt  
it touch her mind, she felt like singing. It was as if she was  
completely intertwined with the soul of the earth and her heart was  
touched.

The artifact was slowly melded into her through the light that  
it pulsed. With it she could hear the heartbeats of everyone in the  
room. She could feel their life force and knew that all of them were  
healthy and peaceful. When the artifact was completely pulled into her  
body, she opened her eyes.

Ami was awash in a bright blue light that pulsed peacefully, if  
not, then a little sadly. Serenity frowned; something had been taken  
from her. She had been used, so to speak. When she looked over at  
Haruka and Ryo she did not see the same thing. The bodyguard was a  
pale violet, and the pulse was erratic, but Serenity some how knew  
that was normal from her. The other doctor had a pale brown glow that  
wasn't pulsing. She looked over at Rei and Demando.

Rei was a bright red that flamed about her, as if she were  
enraged. Something had been taken from her as well. She too had been  
used. Demando had not, he was soft lavendar and his light pulsed  
mournfully. He missed his wife and children everyday, and it was so  
obvious to her. The other auras of the surrounding people did not  
worry her as much as Ami's and Rei's did.

The lights faded back to the normalcy of before. Serenity  
cleared her throat. "That was kinda cool," she said after a moment.

Demando sighed, audibly. He was glad that the entire process had  
gone well. "Well, now that that is over, we can get on with analyzing  
the data we've collected."

Serenity pulled on his sleeve before he could walk away. "There  
is something important I have to tell you guys." She turned to Ryo and  
Taiki. "Could you guys excuse us for a moment?" The two men looked  
confused before they turned and left.

"What's wrong," Haruka asked. She normally didn't see Serenity  
so serious.

Serenity pointed at Rei and Ami. "We've had a breach in security."

Haruka immediately drew her sword and stood next to Serenity,  
looking at Rei and Ami. "Are you saying that they're Alpha?" She did  
not believe it, but if Omega was saying it...

She shook her head. "No, Haruka, I don't mean that they're the  
breach in security. I mean, that they've been violated, they're the  
ones that have been compromised." She looked at them, concentrating.  
Both Ami and Rei were staring at her, confused. "Their energy, both  
emotional and physical, has been taken from them."

"What on earth are you talking about, Serenity?" Haruka asked.  
The poor blonde woman looked immensely confused and was getting itchy  
to kill something. However, she didn't particularly want to kill Rei  
and Ami.

"When I look at them, their auras seem compromised. Not sick or  
unhealthy, just a little tired. I think that someone took their  
emotional and physical energy, but I'm really at a loss as to who did  
it." Serenity crossed her arms and bit her lower lip in concentration  
as the intently looked at the two women. She looked at Demando for  
help.

"Any ideas?" she asked hopefully.

He shook his head. He was at a loss. "This isn't my area of  
expertise, Serenity. We were lucky to be able to recruit this many  
scientists of Ami, Ryo, or Taiki's caliber. The majority of scientists  
are in the service of Alpha, willing or not." He rubbed his temples.  
"The only person on this planet who might be able to explain is Rose  
Nakazaki and Kalkia Skye. They have a remarkable understanding of the  
mental and physical energy system, more than any of us."

"They're the ones that made Alpha," Rei also pointed out. She  
managed to do a wonderful job hiding her resentment and anger when  
Demando mentioned Rose. She just went over to a screen and pulled up  
the data base on everything they had on the two scientists.

Ami was quiet for a moment, "Is it possible that they had  
something to do with this? They probably got into a lot of trouble for  
losing the Crimson Flame," she said logically.

Serenity delved deeper into the two people's auras. "There is  
the presence of a male psyche and two female for each of you. The  
males are different in each case, but the females are not."

Pounding her fist into the computer, Rei swiveled around, her  
nostrils flaring with anger. "IT WAS THEM!" She stalked the room, her  
fists clenching and unclenching. "Those Alpha bastards and bitches  
violated us!"

Ami shook her head. "We don't know why they did what they did,  
Rei. Maybe they have a good reason."

Horrified, Rei gripped Ami's shoulders. "Ami, how can you say  
that? They went into our dreams, our memories and harvested our energy  
like we were farm animals." She shuddered. "Didn't you have a  
realistic dream of the past recently? The night after the party?"

Ami looked away and pulled out of Rei's grip. "My dreams are  
always realistic, Rei." She went over to a computer screen and lost  
herself in the data.

"Whatever they did to you, it wasn't harmful," Serenity said  
after a moment. "At least, not really. I would have to examine this  
further to understand what exactly they did and why. I think I would  
need the next artifact to do it."

Rei made a raw sound of pain that she masked with a bitter  
laugh. "I'll kill them for what they did. They had no right," for a  
moment it seemed as if she might cry but she shrugged it off. "Rose  
and Kalkia have crossed the line one too many times."

Haruka glanced at the shorter woman. "Rei, those two were once  
your friends, you know. They were once all our classmates, at the very  
least. And, Alpha is holding something on them to get them to work for  
them."

Swinging around, Rei got into Haruka's face. "They are NOT my  
friends. Friends do not violate the minds of their friends." She  
practically ran out of the room.

Haruka sighed heavily and shook her head before looking over at  
Ami. Ami slowly stood, "I'm going to go talk to Minako and inform her  
of this. Perhaps she will be able to come up with something to protect  
us in the future. Serenity you should come with me as well. Perhaps  
she'll be able to think better with you there."

Serenity nodded and hopped off of the medical table. She felt  
completely energized with the artifact inside her. Demando frowned,  
"Don't over exert yourself, Serenity," he warned firmly.

"I won't, mentor," she said breezily as she left the room.

Alpha Three Enclave

Lieutenant Rubeus ran a hand through his flaming red hair. He  
hated scouting duty. It was a pain in the ass. He hated interviewing  
civilians. As violent as he could get sometimes, it was always against  
the enemy. Civilians were another issue, completely. They were not  
a worthy adversary, soft and undisciplined. He glanced at his partner  
for scouting duty. Lieutenant Saffir was a very quiet man, reserved  
and patient. He didn't enjoy terrorizing people, no matter if they  
were the enemy or not. Rubeus shook his head. It was amazing that he  
had risen at all in the ranks of Alpha if he was so squeamish. Then  
again, Saffir had a cool head, capable of a lot of great thinking, so  
that might have helped a great deal.

"This sucks," Rubeus muttered as the went to the next set of  
quarters on their list of potential resistance sympathizers.

Saffir raised an eyebrow before looking back ahead of them. "I  
quite agree. There is nothing less exhilirating then walking up and  
down countless corridors looking for something that probably isn't  
even in the Enclave anymore," he said dryly. "Are you prepared to do  
another scan?"

"Yeah," Rubeus groaned. "Are you ready to strike some deep and  
awe inspring worry into these people?"

Saffir rolled his eyes. "We'll find the artifact. It's only a  
matter of time. We don't need to scare civilians out of their wits in  
the process."

"It'll be your ass before Kunzite then, not mine, if we fail."

"I don't intend on failing."

Delta Cell Headquarters, Alpha Thirty-Two Enclave, once known as  
Russia

Makoto glanced at the hologram. It was the best they could do for  
a map. All maps that could be possibly of use to a military  
stategist was printed on a special paper that would deteriorate if  
someone with the wrong DNA signature touched it. The Resistance had  
created their own holographic maps from scans of the land from the  
various cells, piecing them together to make a map of the entire  
globe. Of course, large areas marked off limits by Alpha were blank  
but it still was an acceptable tool.

She sat back in her chair and looked up at the ceiling. Rei and  
Ami had told her what Serenity suspected, that their energy had been  
violated, used, by Kalkia and Rose. She shut her eyes. It pained her  
to remember those times. It had felt like reality, like she had  
returned to those days, when she was young and in love. But that lover  
had turned into the enemy, who was now scouring the globe, looking for  
the artifact that they had just stolen.

Makoto was actually not in Alpha One; she was in Alpha  
Thirty-Two, old Russia, and hiding in one of the more remote areas of  
the world. Outside it was snowing, but the snow now was gray, not  
white, for it fell from dirty and polluted skies. She sighed and  
leaned back in her chair, reflecting on the message she had gotten  
from Rei.

Frankly, it seemed like her fiery friend was over-reacting. She  
remembered Kalkia from the few times they had spoken while Makoto had  
been waiting for Nephlite or when he brought her to the kitchens to  
beg for her own chocolate. The younger girl had idolized the  
brown-haired man and was extremely tender-hearted. She wasn't the type  
of person to invade or perform mental rape on another person.

There simply had to be another explanation.

Even with Rose, the other girl she had known even less, but what  
she did know was that this girl was an innocent. If an evil thought  
ever entered her head, Makoto would cut her hair, she'd shave it off.  
They simply weren't capable of doing something just for sheer cruelty.

There was a logical explanation, she just didn't have it yet.  
And until there was evidence that she had been harmed, she really  
wasn't going to dwell on it.

However, there was nothing saying she couldn't dwell on Nephlite  
and their affair. There was nothing saying she couldn't wonder for the  
millionth time why he hadn't told her he was leaving. Why had he just  
simply left the Enclave to become one of the most important men in the  
world. Why he had--

She stopped her thoughts. She had too many uncertainties and  
unanswered questions.

Makoto turned her attention back to the map. She was supposed to  
find the next artifact and figure out a way to get it. Unfortunately,  
the illusive Sunset Stone was just as hard to grasp as an actual  
sunset. She was starting to get a headache. Where was Ami when she  
needed her?

Omega Cell Headquarters, Alpha One Enclave

Michiru sighed, flipping a strand of green-blue hair out of her  
eyes. She hated guessing. But that was the only thing she could do at  
this moment. They needed to find the next target for Omega and it was  
not going to be an easy task. Makoto had gone to another cell, hoping  
to scope out the area and ascertain if it were a possible storage  
place for the next artifact. Michiru, on the other hand, was busy  
studying surveillance video and trying to decipher what was a decoy  
and what was a true possible target.

Alpha wasn't stupid. After the loss of the first artifact, they  
stepped up the security of all facilities, crucial or not. It was to  
help them keep the Resistance from guessing which place had an actual  
artifact. Being a tactician for the resistance was a pain in the rear.  
It often involved a lot of guessing, guts, and horrible  
responsibility. Makoto and Michiru were Omega cell's tacticians and  
there were often times that their word would send out members to be  
killed. If they made a mistake and picked the wrong target, lives were  
lost for nothing.

She rubbed the bridge of her nose before continuing to study  
the hologram. Better to not think about those uncomfortable things.  
She might drive herself mad if she did.

After about another hour of just staring at the computerized  
projection, she whimpered softly and it was a very disparaging sound.  
She laid her head down on the table and tried to clear her mind.  
However it seemed to be a futile effort, for her mind wouldn't allow  
her to think of nothing.

No, her lover and closest friend had to show up and taunt her  
with teasing images. She groaned, "Haruka I am going to kill you," she  
muttered. "This isn't the time to be playing games with me." She knew  
that the other woman couldn't hear her, but it felt much better to say  
the words out loud. She desperately needed a vacation, one that  
involved a warm bed and Haruka.

"These thoughts are not going to help me find the artifact," she  
told herself firmly. "Watch the videos."

"You're so cute when you talk to yourself like that," a teasing  
voice said. Michiru looked up to see a figure with thin gray-white  
hair and green eyes. They were short and rather bony, but moved with  
a practiced grace.

"Yaten, tell me you have something good to report?"

Yaten sighed and shook her head. Like Taiki she had been part of  
the same gender changing experiment gone wrong. She too was a  
hermaphrodite, but she had started out as a woman, and felt more  
comfortable being adressed as one.

"I just came to tell you that I got tickets to a concert with  
that group that is suddenly so famous. I think that there is a violin  
or a cello involved."

Michiru laughed, "You know my weakness," she joked but then  
shook her head, "I don't have time to go to a concert, especially now  
with all the security."

Yaten shrugged, "Your loss." She sat down in a chair that was a  
little further down the table. "Do we have anyone we need to kill  
yet?"

Michiru swatted Yaten's arm. "Sheesh, I'll never understand the  
fascination you, Haruka and Seiya have with killing." She wrinkled her  
nose. "Frankly, I'd just rather sit at home and play some music."

Laughing, Yaten leaned back and put her feet up on the table.  
"Relax, Michiru. You aren't the one who does most of the killing. Me  
and Seiya are the assassins, remember?" Her green eyes flashed, a  
little of the emptiness peeking through.

"No, I might not kill but I sure do get a lot of people killed"  
She shut the hologram off with a punch of a button. "God Yaten,  
the Alpha Brigade is doing sweeps of all enclaves. Any resistance member  
that is caught is going to be sent to Esmeraude, the Enforcer, for  
questioning." She wanted to sob but wouldn't allow herself to.

Concerned, Yaten placed an hand on Michiru's arm. "Michiru, look  
at me." Slowly, the woman did, her face contorted with pain. Yaten  
gave her one of her rare smiles. "Michiru, stop torturing yourself.  
What we do, it's necessary for the benefit of mankind. Everyone knows  
when they first join, that death is a very big possibility in our line  
of work. But they fight with us, side by side, willing to take that  
risk. And for what? Freedom, Michiru." Yaten's eyes sparkled. "Can you  
imagine? The freedom of choice, to be able to choose what to do, what  
to say, who to love!"

Michiru slowly nodded. "Yaten, I know all of this in my head, I  
really do. But my heart can't take it anymore. Haruka nearly died  
because of something foolish that I did."

"Haruka never blamed you, Michi, you know that."

"I know," she sniffled and wipped her eyes. "I'm just tired.  
I know what we're fighting for, really I do, its just hard to keep it  
in perspective. I want to give up."

Yaten raised an eyebrow, "Michi, do you want to go back to a  
system where they force you to be with a man?" she asked bluntly.

The blue-green-haired woman blinked several times. "Of course  
not! I would rather die if I couldn't be with Haruka."

"Then stop complaining and start thinking. You're beating  
yourself up for things that you can't control, not yet. We'll get our  
freedom, we really will. And you and Haruka will have that family  
you've always dreamed about. But we have to fight and be willing to  
die for that freedom."

Michiru nodded and then laughed. Yaten looked at her confused  
for a moment. "How old are you again?" Michiru teased.

Yaten wrinkled her nose, "Very funny. Just rub it in that you're  
three months older than me."

Alpha Laboratory, Alpha One Enclave

"That's it, Rose, one more step," Kalkia coaxed.

Rose bit her lip before retorting, "I wish I had better use of  
my legs. It would feel great to kick you right now!"

Laughing, Endymion continued to support the dark-haired doctor  
on her physical therapy exercises. The rapid healing had knit things  
together for the most part, but there was still residual damage, most  
of it mental. It was like the brain forgot how to control the body.  
Of all the victims, Rose was the last one to get well, most likely  
because her physical systems weren't as advanced.

Taking that final step, Rose sighed with relief. Kalkia really  
pushed hard. But then again, she was doing all this for Rose's  
benefit. Endymion pulled the wheelchair over and Rose sank gratefully  
onto the chair. She hated these things, she thought as a mental link  
up attached to her neck. They were a pain in the butt. But at least  
she didn't have to do much to move around. Just think about it.

"Think of it as your punishment for scaring me out of my wits"  
Kalkia said dryly but she was smiling at the antics her friend was  
making. "Although, I must say between you and Zoicite I am laughing a  
lot more lately."

"Just rub it in, why don't you," Rose muttered rebelliously.

Kalkia giggled and Endymion just grinned. "So are we finally  
going to talk about her?" he asked.

"Talk about who?" Kalkia blinked several times.

"Omega. Are we going to talk about what I'm going to have to do  
the next time I come up against her? I mean, she was as distracting as  
hell, and I don't want to be distracted if they come after another  
artifact."

Rose and Kalkia exchanged a look but didn't say anything right  
away. "Actually," Rose said after a moment, "We've been thinking about  
it. Kalkia had a solution, but I don't think you'd like it too much."

Endymion blinked and began nervous at the grin on the auburn  
haired woman's face. "What was her suggestion?"

"Well, you always could cut it off."

"Cut what--oh." Endymion turned red and shook his head  
vigorously. "No. Please don't. Besides, what would be the purpose in  
that?"

Kalkia just laughed and didn't say anything. "The other option  
is to practice your physical control," she continued more seriously.  
"I could project the Urge on you and you could practice fighting and  
not being distracted. Jon could help you too," she added as an after  
thought.

Endymion shook his head, "Both of us being destracted is not  
going to work."

Kalkia looked away, "I know how to project it singly or on a  
group. I have a lot of control over it," she said tonelessly.

Hesitating, Rose wheeled her chair to her private computer.  
"That's not the only thing. As you learn to get physical control, so  
too must you achieve mental and emotional control." She fidgeted,  
clearly uncomfortable. "I'm afraid I'd be the only one capable of  
helping you on that one." She chewed her lip, a nervous habit.

Frowning, Endymion said, "Isn't there another way, something  
less damaging?"

Kalkia looked at him, confused. "What do you mean, damaging?"

Rose and Endymion exchanged a look. "These options that you two  
propose..." He hesistated. "They would create a large amount of  
emotional anguish for the two of you."

Raising an eyebrow, Kalkia gave Endymion a look. "Emotional  
anguish, moi?" She laughed. "I don't think so, Endy."

Rose gripped Endymion's hand, keeping him from saying anything  
more. 'Leave her alone. She won't admit to it and you pestering her  
isn't going to help.'

He sighed. 'I know and I wasn't going to. It just bothers me to  
cause you two pain, even if one of you won't admit it.' He squeezed  
her hand in reassurance and didn't refute Kalkia's statement.

"We'll start teaching you later. Right now, we have some  
patients to attend to, while you spar with Jonathan," Kalkia said. She  
stood next to Rose's chair, handing her some medical charts, and the  
pair departed.

Kalkia didn't bother to wait for an answer as she and Rose  
strode into Zoicite's office. The doctor was sitting stiffly in his  
chair and looking at some inconsequential report. He looked up from it  
as they came in and groaned.

"I'm happy to see you too," Kalkia said sweetly.

The brown-haired man glared at her. "Can you go see Jedeite  
first? Or Neph? I'm sure that they need to be looked over more then I  
do."

Kalkia clucked her tongue to chide him. "Zoicite, you shouldn't  
be worried. You haven't got anything that Rose and I haven't seen.  
Perhaps you would feel more comfortable in a lab room?" she asked  
innocently. Rose coughed, trying not to laugh.

"Zoicite, you always make me get treated. You might as well take  
your own advice and let us treat you," Rose smiled warmly, glad to  
finally be doing something that was truly good: healing.

Tossing a glare at the both of them, a mutter sounding vaguely  
like Antarctica coming from his way, Zoicite got out of his chair and  
stood in front of the women, albeit somewhat stiffly. "Ok, get on with  
it, you two, so I can get back to my work."

Kalkia chuckled and went over to him. Professionally, she  
scanned him with a piece of medical equipement. She frowned slightly.  
"You haven't been sleeping," she accused. "Not that I care that you're  
losing sleep, but I gave you a sedative to knock you out for days."

Zoicite just gave her a cold look. "Finish your examination  
doctor," he said slowly. "I don't have time to mess with this."

Kalkia clenched her jaw, "Rose, do the mental thing."

Zoicite moved as if to strike the redhead, anger plainly written  
on his features. Rose stuck out an arm, stopping him.

"Don't try to violate me, Kalkia. I'm a more powerful telepath  
then both of you, so don't try to do anything to me."

Raising an eyebrow, Kalkia broadcasted to Rose, 'Gee, think I  
got a sore spot with him? Too bad pasty ass here doesn't know that you  
and I are hiding a lot more than he can imagine.'

Rose shook her head. 'Kalkia, leave him alone. I sense such raw  
pain and hurt from him.' Tilting her head, Rose regarded Zoicite with  
her deep violet eyes. Slowly, he turned and looked down at her, his  
anger slowly draining away. "Zoi, don't you trust me? You're running  
yourself ragged again. You need rest, I can hear the strain you're  
placing your heart under."

His ice-green eyes regarded her for a moment. "I'm fine, don't  
worry about me."

Kalkia snorted derisively. "Yeah, for a man that hasn't slept in  
days, you're fine. Just one inch away from collapse. Do you call that  
fine?"

"I didn't ask for your opinion, Kalkia," he snapped.

The red head clenched her jaw and her dark green eyes flashed  
angrily. "I did not save your ass to have you die of sleep  
deprivation. I don't care why you're avoiding it. Now, I'm going to  
give you a sedative and you are going to sleep for at least eight  
hours. Ten, if I can manage it."

"Zoicite, we just want you to be healthy," Rose said quietly.  
She hadn't let go of his arm. "Kalkia is right. You need sleep. When  
she gives you the sedative, I can soothe whatever is bothering you  
mentally, so that you can sleep without dreaming."

He looked so tired then, his shoulders sagging. "Rose petal, I  
don't know." Instantly, Rose's face fell, saddened. He felt so guilty.  
"Don't make that face, you know that I can't stand it. Fine, I'll go  
to bed if that will make you two happy." She grinned and he sighed.  
"Are you sure you two are doctors and not telemarketers? You two are  
as persistent as the latter."

Kalkia raised an eyebrow and went over to a console. She easily  
programed the sedative and had his own medical device synthesize it.  
She filled the syringe she had been carrying with her and waited  
expectantly. "You should have a bed in here, or we're walking to your  
room," she said briskly. She easily ignored the tenderness he showed  
her best friend and just pretended they were aquaintances.

Zoicite looked surprised at her comment. "I thought that I'd  
just inject myself."

Kalkia shook her head firmly, "You'll throw this away the moment  
we leave. I know you Zoi, and I'm not a fool."

He snorted but went to the bare wall. A make-shift bed came out  
and he sat down. He rolled up his sleeve for her and she gently  
injected him. Normally she made sure the three men felt the large and  
painful needle but this time, he didn't feel a thing. Either she felt  
pity for him, or had gotten lazy.

"There," she said and went to go dispose of the syringe. While  
she was occupied, Rose jabbed Zoicite in the ribs, mentally speaking.

'What?' Rose's mental sending was quite forceful, even as she  
was occupied with tweaking a few things so that Zoicite could sleep  
without dreaming.

'You could be nicer, you know.' She frowned. 'Kalkia was the one  
to get us all out of Esmeraude's tender care. None of the soldiers  
would have ventured one foot in there to get us out and Esmeraude was  
more than happy to keep us in there for longer than was ordered.' She  
shuddered. 'You know what she's capable of. Can you honestly say that  
Kalkia and Endymion didn't save us?'

He wanted to refute her statements but the thing was, they were  
true. It was more than possible that Esmeraude would have kept them  
longer. With Jedeite bedridden, there wasn't anyone else powerful  
enough to stand up to the Enforcer, no one higher in rank other than  
Metallia. And Metallia would not have made sure that the torture  
victims were actually freed on time.

'You see?'

He grimaced. 'Fine, Rose petal, I'll be nicer. But only because  
I owe her one. She still is repulsive to me.' Kick. 'Ow, okay, okay,  
I'll stop thinking uncharitable thoughts.'

"You know, it's rude to have conversations behind other people's  
backs, even if they are mental," Kalkia said idly with a sharp look at  
the two of them. She went over to Zoicite and did a final reading on  
him. "You'll be dropping off in five...four...three...two..."

Zocitie laid down on the make-shift bed and closed his eyes. He  
was snoring softly by the time Kalkia smugly said, "One." She turned  
to Rose and nodded at the door. "Let's go see how Jedeite is doing.  
Maybe he still has some scrapes I can poke at."

At the mechanized chime for admittance, Jedeite grunted his  
approval and the door to his chambers opened. He didn't look up from  
his exercises as Rose's wheelchair slowly came into view, Kalkia  
following right behind. Immediately, Kalkia began to scan Jedeite,  
while noticing, since he was shirtless, that most of his wounds had  
healed nicely.

"Now I'm disappointed," she mock-pouted as she carefully  
appraised the rapidly healing wounds. They now looked like minor  
scratches in cross-crossed lashes across his back. With gloved fingers  
she touched them gently and scanned for infection. "I thought that  
Esmeraude was better at torture than this. Hell, I could have made  
them last a lot longer."

"Then why don't you be Enforcer," Jedeite snapped.

Kalkia grinned, "I'm not a sadist. Cruel and an animal, yes, but  
not a sadist. Nor am I a masochist. Our wonderful little friend is  
both, that's why she's Enforcer and I just get to clean up." She  
looked over at Rose and winked.

Rose parked the wheelchair and, with Kalkia's support, got out  
of the thing. Letting her friend's arm go, she tried to take a step  
unassisted, but promptly collapsed. Luckily, Jedeite was able to catch  
her before she ended up on her behind.

"Rosebud, you should not be pushing yourself after what happened  
to you," he sighed.

Rose shot him a look. "As if you aren't doing the same thing,  
heart-brother."

He looked surprised. "You haven't called me that for a long  
time," he said softly. Rose motioned for him towards the couch and  
they sat as Kalkia watched, silent.

Hesitating, Rose tried to think of how to place this as best as  
she could. "Jed, no matter what Metallia has done to you, I still  
think of you as that sweet older boy who used to keep the other people  
from making fun of me because I was in a different Level. You are my  
heart-brother-"

"Whom you offered yourself in his place, to Esmeraude." His  
green eyes were bluer, with a hint of tears.

Kalkia managed to not say anything. She crossed her arms over  
her chest and looked away, focusing instead on a nearby painting. She  
had to look away from that, because it was a painting that he had been  
fond of when they were younger and she had bought for him for a  
birthday present. She clenched her jaw and decided that closing her  
eyes would be better for everyone involved.

Rose smiled. "I only did what any sister would have done," she  
insisted softly.

Jedeite eyes darted over to Kalkia's silent form and then back  
to Rose. Wisely he didn't point out that Kalkia would never have  
offered herself to Esmeraude for him. He didn't think she would even  
do that for Nephlite now. She hated all four of the men, and they  
hated her. Despite how it sounded, it was a very comfortable  
relationship.

Seeing his glance, Rose sighed. "She still cares, you know. Deep  
down, somewhere deep inside, she still cares. After all, she helped me  
to heal you all. But you've all hurt her." Kalkia made a noise and  
motioned as if to stop the conversation. "Of course, she doesn't  
believe me and you don't believe me, but I know what my heart-sister  
is hiding." She gave Kalkia a smile. "A heart as soft as my own." She  
gazed into Jedeite's eyes, silently urging him to listen. "You owe her  
you know? She saved you, Kunzite, Zoicite, Nephlite and me. At the  
very least, be nicer to her, Jedeite. If not for yourself as a human  
being," he shot her a look but she continued, "then for me, in thanks  
for the trade."

Groaning, he mock-glared. "You are blackmailing me, aren't you?"

Giggling, she jabbed him in the ribs. "Yup and it always works,  
does it not?"

Interrupting, Kalkia walked up to the couch, her face closed.  
Rose could feel Kalkia's hurt, her envy of the fact that their oldest  
and dearest friends no longer thought of her as human. But she could  
also feel Kalkia's veneer of apathy. Taking out a medical scanner, she  
began to access Jedeite's condition. Methodically she went through and  
scanned him. "If you aren't careful, then your muscles are going to  
knot and we'll have to go through and relax them," she said as if she  
was talking to someone she barely knew. Inside she was seething at  
Rose for doing this. She didn't want anyone's pity, not even her best  
friend's. "Keep up on your exercises and you should be fine." She  
pulled away and went to the door.

"Rose, are you coming?" The auburn haired woman kept her back  
turned to the two of them and didn't care that the air around her was  
so hostile that it was possible to feel it.

'I don't pity you. I feel the emotions you don't allow yourself  
to feel.' Rose cut off the link before Kalkia could ask her what she  
meant. She rose, trying to walk back to her stupid chair. She hated  
being helpless, a burden to others. Jedeite helped to steady her and  
before she left, gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.

'I'll try to do as you ask, Rosebud. And you should take your  
own advice and get some rest.'

Rose nodded, wheeled her chair to the door, and she and Kalkia  
left, to finish their rounds.

Kalkia paused and her hand hovered over the computer pad.  
"Please don't say anything to Nephlite," she whispered, her voice was  
barely audible. "If you care for me as you say you do, Rose, please  
don't say anything." She then pressed the button and went in.

Of the three that they had seen, Nephlite was by far the best  
off. However, he was following doctors orders and still in bed. He  
didn't look up as they came into his room. "Good. I was hoping you  
guys would come and tell me that I could get out of bed now. I'm  
getting bored."

Kalkia laughed and went over to the bed side and sat down,  
scanning him as she did so. "Knowing that, I might make you stay  
there," she teased and reached into her medical kit to get out his  
next injection. Several of his wounds had gotten infected. Because  
Esmeraude had wanted him to scream, she had used a different set of  
not-so-sterile sharp and blunt objects.

Smiling, Rose maneuvered closer to Nephlite's bed. "Darling,  
you look marvelous all bandaged up like a mummy." All shared a laugh,  
remembering a long lost memory of a school play. Letting Kalkia make  
sure that Nephlite was ok, Rose shielded herself from the others and  
gently probed Nephlite's mind. She smiled. She didn't have to say  
anything to him because Nephlite was already taking to heart what she  
had been telling him all along. Rose could feel Nephlite's longing to  
make things up to their heart-sister. Gently she withdrew and allowed  
things to take their course.

Nephlite groaned, "Just tell me I can get out of bed," he  
begged.

Kalkia smiled slightly, "Actually, you should stay there for  
another four hours if you want to be completely healthy."

"And if I don't?" he raised an eyebrow.

"Then I'll sedate you," she said with mock sweetness and stood.  
He caught her hand by the wrist and she looked back down at him.  
"What?"

He opened his mind to her, trying to convey how sorry about all  
of this he was, how he regretted hurting her and how much he missed  
hearing her laugh, having her hug him or bop him on the head. Her  
reaction was immediate. She pulled away, shutting off her mind. She  
glared, furious.

She grabbed a nearby syringe and filled it with the sedative.  
"You're not feeling right," she said simply and grabbed his arm  
harshly. "You need more sleep." Rose moved to stand and stop her but  
she stopped. She knew that Kalkia was likely to sedate her as well.

"Kita," Nephlite tried to argue before she jabbed the needle  
into him.

"My name is Kalkia," she snapped. "Or Dr. Skye." She plunged  
the depressor into his arm and glared at Rose. "You promised me," she  
whispered hoarsely, the only indication she was upset. Nephlite's eyes  
fluttered and he fell back into the bed.

Rose shook her head. "You felt my mind. I did nothing. That was  
of his own volition."

Kalkia almost seemed close to tears. "Liar. He doesn't care,  
none of them do." She turned away, not trusting her facial  
expressions. Steeling her voice, she continued, "You're powerful  
enough to hide whatever you two conversed about from me." Crossing her  
arms, she hugged herself, as if cold. "Don't make them care for me,  
Rose, please."

Her anguish was a blow to Rose's mind. She hated to see her  
friend in pain. If the generals cared for her, Kalkia would hurt and  
if they continued to treat her as trash, she would hurt. What could  
she do? Dropping her head, Rose let a few tears slip. "Look into your  
heart and tell me what you want, Kal. I'll do whatever you decide."

"Nothing. Do nothing. You can't change the past and the future  
as already been decided," she sighed and looked at the holographic  
window in Nephlite's room. "If wishes were dreams, perhaps, it would  
be possible. But they aren't, they never were, and they never will  
be." She gather up her equipment in complete silence. "Let's go see  
Kunzite. He's the only one I trust to treat me like the animal I am."

Without waiting for an answer or even for Rose to retort her  
statement, she left the room. She walked away and didn't wait for her  
friend and co-worker to follow her.

Biting off a sob, Rose turned and gently tucked Nephlite in. She  
noticed a single tear running from his closed lids. With a small  
smile, she whispered, "You hurt for Kalkia too, don't you, my friend?"  
Kissing his brow, she gave him another caring look and left to go  
catch up to her friend.

When Rose came into Kunzite's quarters, the two were already  
arguing quite loudly about his medical treatment. The silver-haired  
general looked to be the picture of health, but if Kalkia Skye said  
there was something wrong, normally there was.

"I feel fine!" he snapped.

"Well you're not," she said back.

"If there is something wrong with me, I'm sure that you're the  
cause of it. Now, leave me alone so I can get some work done!"

"If you don't let me do my job you're going to get sick again. I  
really don't feel like trying to save your lily-white ass again!"

Sighing quietly, Rose rubbed her temples, feeling another  
headache coming on. Was homicide really that bad? It would surely take  
care of her headache at the very least. Letting go of that thought,  
she yelled, "QUIET!"

Both Kalkia and Kunzite stopped instantly. They were in each  
other's face, nose to nose, so close that it was hard to believe that  
they hated each other. They slowly turned and looked at her with  
surprise.

"Thank you," Rose said and wheeled herself up to the two of  
them. "Now, Kalkia, Kunzite, I'm sure we can do this civilly."

"He started it!" Kalkia insisted.

"She started it!" Kunzite said at the same time.

"Or not." Rose had to close her eyes and count to ten. "Look you  
two, can't we compromise? Kalkia, what are you recommending for a  
period of rest?"

She thought about it. "With these scans, I want a day of  
complete bed rest, no activity at all," Kalkia replied.

"A WHOLE DAY?!"

Wincing, Rose held her head. "Will you please not scream?" She  
sighed. "What do you propose, Kunzite?"

He continued to sit there, glaring at the redhead. "A whole day  
is not necessary. I feel fine right now."

Grimacing, Rose looked at the two parties. "How about half a day  
of bed rest and another half with light activity only?"

"Half a day is still too long," Kunzite muttered and crossed his  
arms over his chest. "I feel fine."

"You are not fine," Kalkia insisted and then pulled his shirt  
off easily. Along his back several of his wounds had not completely  
healed. "If he continues to move they're going to break open again and  
scar. I'm not going to settle for less than a day."

Kunzite glared at her, "I'm so touched that you care," he  
snapped.

"I don't," she insisted, "I really have no problem with you  
dying or being in pain," she jabbed her finger into one of the  
scratches to make her point. "However, I do care what Metallia will do  
to me if you die."

Why was Rose getting the distinct feeling she was ramming her  
head against a brick wall? Before things could escalate to a full  
fledged fight, Rose neared the two, gently pushing Kalkia to one side.  
"Don't fight you two. I'll do my own damn examination and maybe I can  
see something to let you two children agree on."

Huffing, Kalkia walked away and leaned on the wall. "Be my  
guest, if you can manage to get the lunkhead to cooperate."

Before Kunzite could jump up and protest, Rose placed a hand on  
his bare shoulder, forcing him to sit back down. Shaking her head, she  
began to scan, hoping the two wouldn't try to kill each other while  
she was still stuck in the middle. Looking up, Rose frowned. "You  
need to rest for at least four hours, Kunzite." She finally realized  
that they were a little close and she withdrew her hand, nervous.  
"Doctor's orders." Making her chair hover backwards as far as it would  
go, Rose suppressed a shudder. She could handle this, she had to.

For a moment, Kunzite's green eyes flashed back to his icy blue.  
He felt...hurt by Rose's fear. But his darkness instantly ate up his  
light and his eyes returned to their cool green. "If that is what you  
recommend, doctor, I suppose I can comply."

"I don't believe this," Kalkia muttered. "I still think he  
should be in bed all day. But my opinion never matters that much, does  
it." She stood and walked out, not even waiting for Rose.

Kunzite sighed heavily and shook his head, "I don't understand  
how you can stand to be around her day in and day out. She's a  
hellcat."

"Shut up, Kunzite," Rose snapped and turned to leave as well. At  
the door, she paused. "You know, she was really watching out for your  
well-being, Kunzite. You do need to be in bed for a day, but I know  
you and your stubborness. Take the four hours of rest at least and if  
you're going to be insistent, contact me and I'll force the rest of  
your healing." She was tired, dark circles making her violet eyes look  
even more large then they were. "I'll get some energy somehow." She  
left, weary.

Omega Headquarters, Alpha One Enclave, Next Morning

"All I'm saying is that we should do something about it," Rei  
was sitting on Ami's desk. "You know that this isn't the first time  
something like this has happened. We're freedom fighters for the love  
of the world! We should be free in everything, even our minds."

"It's not that I don't agree with you, Rei," Ami sighed and  
leaned back in her chair. She had taken a computer pen and was playing  
with it between her fingers. "It's just that there really is nothing  
we can do about this. We haven't been damaged in the least. In fact, I  
feel better because of it."

"Ami, it was rape. Mental rape. And they're going to keep doing  
it until we do something to show them that we aren't to be fooled  
around with." Rei paused, "Besides, it's like one more slap in the  
face. They're more enhanced, smarter, and more powerful then we are.  
Aren't you sick of Kalkia's and Rose's attitude by now?"

"Rei, I think that you're obsessing on this. It's not Rose's  
fault she looks so much like you. You don't know for sure that she's  
sleeping with Jedeite."

"It's not that!" Rei insisted vehemently. She jumped off the  
desk and began pacing furiously.

Ami quirked an eyebrow. "Really, Rei? I've known you for all my  
life. You used to love Jedeite with a passion unsurpassed by your  
dedication to the cause. Can you tell me that it has changed?" Ami  
sighed. "Jedeite was, no is, your soulmate, Rei. No matter what, that  
won't change. Soulmates are bonded to each other, despite death or  
betrayal. It is the greatest advantage and weakness of the entire  
soulmate system."

Striken, Rei opened her mouth to speak but found herself without  
words.

Ami smiled sadly. "Rei, we were all betrayed when they left us.  
But you can't just up and decide that these people who used to be our  
friends are now evil and corrupt. We found out long ago that they were  
forced into Metallia's service through her threats on our lives. They  
gave themselves up for us." She paused. "Rose and Kalkia were our  
friends too, even if we didn't know them very well. It was Rose  
herself who was able to sneak that information to us, about the reason  
behind their betrayals. They are heart-sisters to our soulmates." She  
rose and patted Rei on the shoulder. "I'm going to go to bed, Rei. Try  
to calm down. I'm sure, deep down, that Jedeite still loves you."

Ami left her alone in the office and did indeed go to bed. She  
trusted that her friend would see the light and just let it go.  
However, Rei couldn't let it go. She stood there in the office,  
seething. She swallowed her tears and went to a computer console and  
began to hunt for a piece of valuable information. She hacked into  
Alpha's mainframe and got what she needed.

"I'm sorry, Ami," she whispered as she turned off the console.  
"I just can't sit back and pretend that it's going to end happily ever  
after. They have to pay. They have to."


	8. Chapter Seven

Disclaimer: Do not own Sailor Moon. Do not sue. Characters used without permission. 

Alpha's Omega Chapter Seven - DRAFT  
By: Kayla Chavi and The Rose Society  
Rating: R

* * *

Alpha Laboratory, Alpha One Enclave 

Kalkia, Jonathon, Endymion and Rose were in the common room of  
the lab, quietly talking.

"Ok, let's do one last run through of what is going to happen"  
said Kalkia as she leaned back into Jonathon's arms. This was going to  
be a dangerous process at best.

"I'm here to spar with Alpha while you push the Urge into him"  
Jonathon said, his deep voice resounding in his chest behind Kalkia's  
head.

"I am to create a link between Kal and Endy, so that the Urge is  
properly transmitted. I am also to help Endymion establish mental and  
emotional control over his urges," Rose said from her chair, making  
sure that she was high enough so that people would not have to crane  
their necks down to speak to her.

Nodding, Kalkia looked at Endymion. "The Urge is going to  
require all my concentration to control. I won't be able to do  
anything else when we start this. Are there any questions?"

He shook his head. "No, I believe I understand my role here."

Opening her mind, Rose linked with Endymion's mind, firmly  
entrenching the link and making it more open than usual. "Mental link,  
established."

Kalkia nodded. "Jonathon, are you ready?"

The taller dark-haired man nodded, holding up his sword. "Armed  
and prepared."

Kalkia began to gather her concentration. "Then we're ready."

Omega Headquarters, Alpha One Enclave

In her quarters, Rei established a security lock on the door.  
Swiftly, she worked on her computer, breaking into Alpha's low level  
amplifiers and transmitters. Usually, it was used to transmit signals  
for communications. But Rei was going to use them to heighten the  
range of her mental broadcasting. It was too far to Alpha Laboratory  
for her own powers to travel, unassisted. Of course, if she was Rose,  
she wouldn't have this problem.

"No, I would not want to be that betrayer." Punching in the last  
block code, Rei set up her equipment and began her revenge.

Alpha Laboratory, Alpha One Enclave

Glowing a soft golden color, Rose poured all of her  
concentration into her task at hand. But something was bothering her.  
Call it intuition, or just plain pessimism, but she felt as if something  
was going to go awry. Shaking her doubts, she redoubled her efforts,  
trying to ignore the feeling.

Kalkia's deep green eyes glowed with silver threads, her red  
hair moving in the breeze of her own power. With nonexistent hands,  
she shoved the Urge into the link between herself and Rose, and Rose  
transferred it to Endymion. Instantly, a warmth filled the room and  
Endymion experienced the same physical symptoms that he had felt when  
he first laid eyes on Omega.

The warning came too late. 'Wait' was the only thing that Rose  
was able to send before the attack hit. All three mentally linked  
victims doubled over in pain, as fire raged through their minds.

"Ahhh," Kalkia gasped as she slid to her knees. She got a  
feeble grip on the floor. Her first thought was that this wasn't  
possible, she had taken the drug this morning just so something like  
this wouldn't happen. Her second thought was to make sure that no one  
touched her. "Don't touch me!" she whispered, but it was too late.  
Jonathon's fingers brushed her arm and her feeble control over the  
Urge broke. It flooded into him more forcefully then ever before.  
Kalkia pushed him away from her violently.

Endymion was standing only a few feet away. He never felt so...  
so...he didn't know how to put it into words. He felt a yearning, for  
something, for someone...to do something...He raised his head and  
looked around.

Rose stepped out of her chair, fighting a nauseating headache to  
reach her friends. "Kal, Jon, are you two ok?" The attack pressed on  
and her friends began to whimper as the Urge began to gain the upper  
hand. They were still apart from each other, but it was easy to hear  
the labored breathing of the tall dark-haired man who was on his hands  
and knees. They were handling it much better then the other man in the  
room.

He only saw one female around and he knew he wanted her, but it  
was in a way he did not understand. There was a strong mental bond  
with her and he was drawn to that bond, the only thing that was making  
sense in the craziness of it all. There was a part of him that knew  
she wasn't the person he truly wanted, but the Urge was pressing on  
his mind, shutting down higher functions. All he knew was that he had  
to do something, something primitive, to meet this new and confusing  
need. He stepped over to the dark-haired woman and grasped her arm.

Gasping, the woman turned violet eyes to Endymion. 'Get a handle  
on it, Endy.'

Shaking his head, he looked at her, his blue eyes darkening with  
desire. It was an almost painful impulse to mate, clouding his mind.  
He didn't understand. He pressed closer and the woman began to back  
up.

'Stop it, Endy. Control your body, your mind. Block the attack'  
But the thing was, the attack was so strong, so powerful, that most of  
Rose's own shields were falling almost as soon as she could build  
them. How the hell was this happening? This shouldn't have been  
happening to them, not at this magnitude.

Kalkia and Jonathon were now grasping the other's hands, trying  
to avoid what the Urge was screaming at them. They were both fighting  
a losing battle. Jonathon made the mistake at looking at Kalkia's  
eyes. They were completely silver and glowing so brightly that it  
should have scared him. It didn't. In a harsh movement he pulled the  
red head closer to him and covered her body with his.

Rose definately didn't want to watch this so she turned back to  
Endymion, who was stalking up to her, like a predator. 'Stop, please'  
she sent, feebly.

Fear settled into an icy puddle in her stomach when Endymion  
grabbed her neck and forced her closer to him. She could feel his need  
through the link and it was scaring her, terrifying her so badly that  
she was unable to think. It was just like when...when...

He placed a hand on her chest and Rose lost it. In a giant  
golden explosion, she blasted all other occupants of the room into the  
far wall. The light show was dazzling and it shattered the hold of the  
Urge on the other three. When the golden light died down, Rose sank to  
the ground, boneless and sobbing. She curled into a fetal position and  
began to shake.

Endymion stood there and was completely blank for a very long  
moment. He looked down at Rose and moved to touch her, but thought  
better of it. She'd probably kill him if he tried. He heard Jonathon  
start to swear up a storm and looked to see him get off of Kalkia. He  
had to look away, for the doctor was partially undressed. The red head  
was also curled into a ball, but her whimpering was for a different reason.

"Shit," Jonathon hissed, "I'm going to go get Zoicite and  
Kunzite. Endymion, don't touch either of them. Especially Kalkia," the  
older man looked haunted as he ran out of the practice room.

Endymion swallowed and decided that it would be better to stand  
on the otherside of the room. He wanted the other two women to be as  
safe as possible. "Help is coming," he offered softly.

Soft chanting filled the room. Zeroing in on the sound, Endymion  
realized that it was Rose, whispering to herself. "Not again, not again,  
not again, not again, not again, not..." It was a mantra of pain. Guilty,  
Endymion tried to extend a mental hand to Rose. As soon as Rose  
realized that he was trying to re-establish their constant mental  
link, however, she threw him out. Rose rolled onto her hands and  
knees, crawling to a corner. She began to vomit, her body trying to  
rid itself of the fear.

He wanted to hurt himself. She was rejecting him, in a way she  
never had before. She was a part of him just as he was a part of her  
and it cut deeply to realize that he had frightened her, hurt her. She  
was withdrawing from him and it was all his fault.

It was a painful series of minutes until Kunzite and Zocitie ran  
into the room. The silver-haired man immedately ran to Rose's side and  
hauled her back into the chair. Endymion winced, "You should be more  
gentle," he snapped but Kunzite's cold green eyes looked at him and he  
shut up.

The general turned to Rose, "Rose, what happened?" he asked  
quietly but the room was so silent that it was broadcasted easily.  
Zoicite was filling an injection tube with a very large amount of  
Kalkia's drug. He carefully made sure not to touch her skin as he  
injected her. The red head began to thrash wildly on the ground and  
her whimpers got louder and louder. "Rose?" Kunzite said her name  
again, trying to get her attention. He needed to force her out of her  
depression and back into reality before she got herself stuck.

She merely curled up into a tighter ball and withdrew, her eyes  
unfocused. Her eyes wide and glazed with fear, her breathing sharp,  
her memories flew in an endless succession. Unknown to them, the  
memories were unconsciously being broadcasted to Rei, who was still  
hooked to her apparatus. When Rose was able to sense Rei's pain, she  
tossed the woman out of Alpha's systems. It was easy to break Rei from  
Rose's memories. It was a different story for herself.

Omega Headquarters, Alpha One Enclave

Tears dripping down her face, Rei tore the mental hookup from  
her head. Various alarms were going off on her computer. Tossing a  
disgusted look at the thing, she threw it into the wall, making a  
satisfying crunch. Cradling her head in her hands, she gazed at the  
surface of her desk.

"Dear God, what have I done?" Large tears continued to fall from  
her eyes and she pounded her fist on her desk. She shouldn't have  
meddled, dear gods, she shouldn't have meddled. Ami and Minako were  
right and she had let her hate and jealousy get the better part of  
her. She whimpered into her arms as she sat at her desk, she must have  
been there for hours before she slowly sat up.

"Jedeite...I'm sorry..."

Alpha Laboratory, Alpha One Enclave

They had placed her in her bed in her quarters. Zoicite said  
that there wasn't anything they could do for her, at least medically.  
Rose was in shock and had withdrawn into her own psyche.

"She'll get better with time," Zoicite stated as he closed the  
scanner with a click.

"Are you sure?" Nephlite looked at the unseeing doctor, worried.

Jedeite fiddled with the blanket again, trying to get it just  
right. "Is there anything we can do? Like when she healed us, can we  
do that for her?"

Zoicite shook his head sadly. "You know that we were enhanced  
physically and mentally to bring out certain qualities. Metallia did  
not include healing others as one of them."

"Damnit," Jedeite smashed his fist into a wall. "What about  
Alpha?"

"He's with Kalkia," Kunzite said, and there was no feeling to  
his voice at all. It was empty, deviod of emotion or thought.

Nephlite looked over at the General. "How is she?" he asked  
quietly, knowing that Kunzite had made sure to get the other woman in  
her room as the overdose of the drug kicked into her system.

"Does it matter?" Kunzite met the other general's eyes. "She  
probably screwed Jonathon a few times and is fine."

"Then why is Alpha with her?" Nephlite persisted. "If that were  
true, then he wouldn't be there, he'd be here."

"Rose locked him out of her mind," Zoicite continued to scan her  
brain and mental readouts. "Alpha has grown too dependent on her.  
Perhaps this is a good thing."

"Yeah, Rosebud is locked in her own mind, that's really a good  
thing," Jedeite snapped.

"I'm just trying to see the positive," Zoicite argued.

"That's all fine and wonderful, but what about Kalkia," Nephlite  
repeated. "If you haven't noticed by now, when Rose blasted them, she  
took all of the Urge into herself. She also didn't rape anyone in the  
process. Have any of us even made sure that the drug is working like  
it should? Hell, Zoi put enough in her to made her comatose. She could  
die."

"So what if she dies?" Kunzite shrugged. "Its not like we need her."

Nephlite clenched his fist, resisting the desire to plant a nice  
punch in the silver-haired general's face. Kalkia didn't deserve this,  
no matter what she was like now. It was their fault anyways, that she  
had been given the Urge in the first place. But now they were blaming  
her for something she couldn't help. 'How is that fair?'

Frowning, Jedeite locked onto the high general with his green  
eyes. "You know that Rose wanted us to be nicer to her."

Shrugging, Kunzite glanced once more at the doctor before  
turning to leave the room. "Rose or no, Kalkia will always be nothing  
to me but an annoyance. Make sure the doctor is well taken care of.  
Metallia has issued orders that she is to recommence Alpha's mental  
training within the week or be terminated."

"Damnit Kunzite!" Nephlite slammed his fist into the wall.  
When he pulled it away, his knuckles were bleeding and several bones  
had been broken. "Metallia isn't going to capture Omega if she  
continues to play these petty games."

Kunzite shrugged, having paused at the door. "She is all  
powerful, Nephlite. Besides, she knows that we will have to try Alpha  
mentally ready within a week. We'll do whatever it is that we have to  
do to make it happen. Anyone is expendable."

Jedeite looked away, "I'm going to go see if Kalkia is up to  
calling Rose mentally. Those two have a strong bond." He pushed past  
Kunzite, his anger vibrating off of him in a soft pink glow.

"Nephlite, fix your hand and then go to the tactical room. We  
need to concentrate on finding Omega. Saffir and Rubeus are supposed  
to have an update for us soon." Kunzite turned back to look at the  
remaining two men. "Zoicite, do whatever you can for the doctor." He  
gave a look at Rose's violet eyes, which were fixated on the ceiling.  
"See you later, heart-sister." There was no reply, not even a blink.  
Angry with his momentary weakness, Kunzite spun on his heel and left  
Zoicite to his work.

Endymion sat on a chair in Kalkia's darkened room, his form  
dejected. He felt so lost. Jonathon was hovering over Kalkia's prone  
position, clasping her hand and gently whispering to his soulmate. The  
redhead had not responded to him in the least.

A shrill sound came from the door. "Enter," said Jonathon, not  
taking his eyes off his beloved.

Jedeite walked into the room, having cooled off some from  
earlier. "Has she woken yet?"

Shaking his head, Jonathon replaced the cooling pad on her  
forehead. "The immediate symptoms of the Urge were taken care of by  
the antidote. She should have been fine. But the attack, coupled with  
the force of the Urge returning as well as the overdose, has wrecked  
havoc with her system.

"Then she can't call Rosebud out of her mind anytime soon"  
Jedeite turned his attention to Endymion. "You've caused a lot of  
problems, Alpha." He began to glow again as his anger returned, upon  
seeing the cause of this mess.

"I know," Endymion said softly. He raised his head, his blue  
eyes rimmed red. 'Don't.' He stopped himself, before he cried in front  
of Jedeite. What was that?

Taking a step, Jedeite rammed his fist into Endymion's face.  
"YOU know? You've been nothing but trouble and have caused the people  
who created you a lot of pain." Endymion made no move to block him as  
Jedeite prepared to strike again. 'Stop!'

"Leave him alone, general," came a female voice. Both men  
whirled around to see a joyous Jonathon helping a weak Kalkia sit up.  
"It wasn't Endymion that caused the experiment to end up this way. You  
can thank your soulmate for this."

Jedeite wrinkled his brow, confused. "What did Rei have to do  
with this?"

Kalkia sat up, glaring. "That bitch broke into Alpha's systems  
and used it to attack both Rose and me mentally." She groaned and  
clutched her midsection.

A gentle sensation caused Endymion to light up instantly. "Rose  
has come out of her mental lockdown." He looked at Kalkia, asking her  
permission to leave. With a smile, she nodded and Endymion left the  
room, the re-established link almost causing him to leap for joy.

At Kalkia's computer console, Jedeite contacted Nephlite. "Neph,  
I think we have had a security breach, according to Skye. She informs  
us that it was the Resistance."

There was the sound of profuse swearing. Kalkia blinked several  
times. "I don't think half of that is anatomically possible," she said  
after a moment. She gently squeezed Jonathon's hand and moved to get  
out of her bed. Both Jedeite and Jonathon looked at her sharply and  
she stopped. "I have to get to the computer if I'm going to tell  
N'lite what happened," she protested.

"Kita, stay in bed," Nephlite ordered, "I can hear you from  
here."

"Okay." She sat back in the bed. "Before Rose and I went  
unconsious, I felt Rei in our minds. She somehow broke into our  
systems and amplified the Urge. Which really really sucked, by the  
way."

"But why?" Jonathon asked, "Is she upset about the party? I  
mean, from what you told me, Jedeite wasn't too smooth with the whole  
sleeping with Rose thing."

Jedeite clenched his jaw. "She wouldn't do something so petty"  
he insisted.

"Jed, Rei was a hellcat. It's why you lo--bedded her," Nephlite  
pointed out. He sighed over the communications link. The group was  
silent for a moment.

"Oh shit," Kalkia whispered and she fell back against the bed.  
"They found out what Rose and I did."

Jedeite looked at her intently. "You didn't ask first?" he asked  
and Kalkia looked off to one of the darkened corners. "Kalkia?" She just  
shook her head and closed her eyes.

'Rose? Are you back yet?'

'Sorta...Endymion, stop grinning like a loon. You're starting to bug me.'

'Sorry.' The sheepishness could be felt throughout the mental connection.

Sighing, Rose sat back against her pillows, her vision swimming.  
'Kal, I'm sorry that I lost control like that. I'm just grateful that  
I didn't kill anyone. I know that I can't ask for forgiveness--'

'It's a good thing that we're in seperate rooms because I'd have  
to hit you for the stupid statement. Rose, you have no idea what the  
Urge is like or how to control it. Neither do Endymion and Jon. If you  
hadn't given us that shock then Endy would have raped you and I would  
have done Jon right there. Then I would have done Endy. Then I might  
have even done you until I got it under control. You did nothing that  
you need to be forgiven of. So shut up on that.'

'And no Endymion, I'm not mad at you. I'm mad at myself for  
almost killing you guys.'

A wave of relief washed over Endymion.

Rose gagged. 'You're going to choke me with that mental hug,  
you know.'

Another sheepish grin. 'Sorry.'

'Anyways, back to the problem at hand. The girls might know that  
we broke into their minds, but no one but Rei was mad about it. And  
now Rei knows why we did it.' Rose sighed, raising a tired hand to her  
brow. 'I'll contact her later, when I gain some more energy.'

Acknowledging, Kalkia sent one more tidbit of information. 'The  
Inner Circle have been made aware of the security breach. They'll take  
care of the problem.' She cut the link, satisfied.

Rose bit her lip. If Alpha knew, then they would trace the  
breach. And then they would attack the Resistance. Lives would be  
lost, some of them potentially her former friends and soulmates of the  
Inner Circle. Killing them would completely wipe out any good that was  
left in the generals. She shuddered to think how they would be after  
they were completely evil.

"What should we do," Endymion asked as he got the personal unit  
to create some food for the doctor to consume.

Grimacing, Rose replied, "I'll have to contact them to warn them  
but that is all I can do. Kalkia won't want to fight Alpha, and I  
can't wipe any memories, I'm at my energy limits right now. Damn it.  
I just hope they can make it."

Omega Headquarters, Alpha One Enclave

"Of all the rash, stupid, idiotic things that one can do in  
their life, you choose to go screw with the two people in the entire  
Alpha hierachy that can make our lives miserable."

Minako was not pleased when she had found out what her friend  
had done. The blonde leader was pacing the length of one of their  
meeting rooms, having been unable to stay seated. All of them had felt  
the mental backlash when the raven-haired bodyguard had been thrown  
out of the Alpha mainframe. Makoto had even broken orders and sent a  
relay in to ask what had happened. Ami had run back to her office to  
find the violet-eyed woman in tears, sobbing histerically. Serenity  
just walked into the room silently and waited for them to speak to  
her.

Rei looked down at the ground sheepishly. She didn't say  
anything, there was nothing she could say to allievate any guilt or  
blame. It was completely her fault.

"Damnit Rei, we all have issues with what Kalkia and Rose did to  
us, but we didn't go off and send out a mental beacon announcing our  
location. We're going to have move everything!" Minako punched her  
fist violently into a nearby wall. Ami jumped at the sudden movement  
and Haruka raised an eyebrow. It wasn't like Omega Cell Leader to get  
so emotionally distraught.

"They did it to save the generals' lives. They were dying and  
Kalkia and Rose had no choice," Rei whispered. "I found that out  
before Rose tossed me out." She gave Minako a sharp glance. "Did you  
know what they all did to Kalkia? Did you know what Kunzite did to  
Rose, still does?"

Minako clenched her fists to her sides. "I know. I knew when it  
first happened."

Rei stood, angry. "Why didn't you tell us? Why didn't you try to  
break them out of Alpha's grip? If you had done that, then Alpha  
wouldn't have their project already completed and we might have been  
successful by now!"

Minako slammed her hands on the table. "BECAUSE, I was so angry  
and hurt." She wanted to scream but she had a job to do. "Screw this,  
we have other matters to take care of. Haruka, Ami, Demando, issue the  
order. We're relocating Omega cell. Luna, Artemis, contact the other  
cells about this recent development."

Ami put a hand on Rei's shoulder to stop her from saying  
anything more. "It was a hard time," she said quietly, for Rei's ears  
alone. "We all made some bad choices. You can't change the past, Rei,  
just the future." She stood up and left with Haruka and Demando.

Minako looked at Serenity, who had sat through the meeting  
without saying a word. Omega tilted her head and looked at the leader  
intently. "What shall I do?" she asked calmly as Luna left the room as  
well. Artemis stayed behind, waiting to talk to Minako alone.

"You and Rei can get all the important items pertaining to the  
project together and secure it. Dismissed." She looked at Artemis  
coldly as the doors closed behind Serenity and a still teary Rei. "What  
is it now?"

"Minako, the only person who can forgive you is yourself," he  
said softly. "If you let this eat you up inside you're going to become  
a liability that we can't afford. It's too pecarious a situation. I  
suggest that once we have relocated, you sleep for a few days. I'm  
sure Ami can give you something."

"I don't want to sleep Artemis. I don't have enough time to sleep."

"I could order you to sleep once the relocation is over with"  
Atremis pointed out.

"Are you going to?" Minako countered as she picked up several  
data pads and began to download from their private mainframe.

Artemis studied her back as Minako studiously prepared for the  
relocation. He shook his head. "You keep blaming yourself for  
something that you cannot be held responsible for. I know you, Minako,  
for years now, and since the last day you saw Kunzite, you blame  
yourself for what happened to your soulmate, his friends, and those  
two girls. But I also know that nothing any of us say will convince  
you that you could have done nothing to prevent what happened. You're  
a headstrong woman, Minako. That's what makes you a great leader. But  
it's also what causes you so much pain." With a sigh, he left the room  
to start the relocation process.

As soon as the door closed with a swish, Minako's control broke  
and a sob escaped her lips. Her body shook with subdued sobs as she  
cried, for the man she once loved, for the man she hated...

For the man she still loved...

* * *

Rei and Serenity began packing in silence. Rei was still deep in  
thought. She couldn't understand how Minako could have left the girls  
in Alpha's clutches, especially after she found out what had happened  
to them. Minako was always ready to rescue those in need, for the  
cause. That was what made so many people trust her and join the cause. 

'She was angry, you know, that Kunzite had betrayed her to Alpha  
and the both of us.'

Rei jerked, her mental senses straining. Looking up, Serenity  
could sense a transmission coming in, but it was being broadcasted to  
Rei only. She watched the dark haired woman to make sure that it  
wasn't an attack.

'Who is this?' Rei's mental sending was rough, from the recent  
misuse.

'It's me, Rei. Rose Nakazaki.'

Frowning, Rei sharpened her mental focus as much as possible.  
'How are you able to send this far?'

'You know that my mental capabilities were the most powerful  
that Alpha had seen in awhile. You know that I'm hiding a lot of  
things from them right now.'

Nodding, Rei felt the flash of Rose's memories in her mind. 'I  
know. My God, I'm sorry-'

'We don't have time for this, Rei.' Reassurance flooded Rei's  
mind. 'I understand why you did it and how terribly you feel about it  
now. I can't keep this up. I need to tell you, since you're the person  
I've most recently been in contact with and that makes it easier.  
Alpha is scheduling a sweep of the enclave. You must leave the  
headquarters before 1400 hours. They'll be in your vicinity then.'

'How did you kno-'

'The location of the headquarters? It wasn't that hard.' There  
was a pause. 'Kalkia is coming, Rei. Hurry and tell Minako about the  
sweep. There isn't time to waste.'

Rei looked over at Serenity, "Go tell Minako we have two hours  
to get out of here before Kalkia shows up," she said and began packing  
even faster.

Serenity blinked, "How do you know?" she asked as she  
practically ran to the door.

"Old friend," Rei said and went back to packing. "Hurry."

Serenity ran.

Alpha One Center, Alpha One Enclave

Both Rubeus and Saffir looked around, wondering. They had been  
called in by General Nephlite of the Inner Circle for a special  
assignment. They had been waiting in the empty room for a long time  
now.

Raising a crimson eyebrow, Rubeus looked at his companion. As  
lieutenants in the information department of Alpha, they were under  
the direct command of Nephlite and Jedeite, the tactical generals.  
Usually, they were rather low on the power structure, so that they  
would never had gotten any direct orders from the generals but it  
seemed that there had been a major security breach. As a result, all  
available personnel were being called to Alpha One to help with the  
security sweep.

Rubeus was about to start drumming his fingers on the table when  
the doors swooshed open. Both men stood sharply when they saw the  
auburn-haired woman walk briskly into the room. Her dark green eyes  
looked at them intently for a moment, "Be seated, the generals will be  
here shortly." Kalkia waited for them to be seated before she sat on  
the edge of the table. She was wearing all black leather and her hair  
was in a high and tight pony-tail. Her gloves creaked softly was she  
idly drummed her fingers on the table. Once more she seemed very  
dangerous.

Saffir had only seen her like this one other time. They had gone  
into a Resistance Enclave and she had calmly gone in and slaughtered  
the leaders. She hadn't even gotten bloody. That fact made him more  
nervous than even General Kunzite. The general always had blood on his  
hands after an execution or fight. Kalkia Skye didn't. She was simply  
clean.

Rubeus had never met her before, and didn't know enough to be  
nervous or afraid of her. However, just being presented with her mere  
presence was quite enough. He had to force himself to not make any  
excessive movements to gain her attention.

"You should relax," Kalkia looked at them from over her  
shoulder, "I'm not the big bad wolf. Esmeraude isn't here yet."

"The Enforcer is coming?" Saffir asked calmly. He didn't betray  
any emotion. Kalkia laughed quietly and closed her eyes for a moment.

"Who better to torture Omega if we catch her?"

The doors wooshed open once more and Kunzite walked into the  
room. Trailing behind him were Nephlite and Jedeite. Esmeraude came in  
a moment after the doors at closed. Apparently the men had been  
walking quickly in an effort to leave her behind. She was a little out  
of breath and looked very annoyed when she got in. The two lieutenents  
stood up out of respect for their commanding officers, but Kalkia  
stayed sitting. She leaned back on the table and crossed her legs,  
supporting her weight with her hands. Her horse-tail brushed against  
the black table like liquid fire.

Kunzite actually looked a little surprised to see her there. "I  
thought you would still be in bed."

"I feel great," she smiled with a fake sweetness, "Besides,  
Jed's girl's gotta pay. I don't like being fucked with." Kunzite just  
raised an eyebrow, but managed not to comment.

Once more the door opened and Zoicite, Rose and Endymion entered  
the room. "Sorry about the wait, general. Just taking care of some  
last minute things." Zoicite took his place next to the other generals  
while Rose and Endymion went to stand next to Kalkia. The redhead was  
frowning, wondering why her friend was there. The black-haired woman  
merely blinked innocently.

As the pair passed Esmeraude, the green-haired woman smacked  
Rose's backside. "Nice to see you again, Rosey," she taunted, waiting  
for the woman to begin to shake again.

None of the generals had to intervene, not that they would. This  
was a time for business and their minds had shut down any unnecessary  
functions, like emotions and concern. Kalkia made a small motion as if  
to rise to smack the Enforcer, but Rose's reaction caused her to pause.

"Too bad I can't say the same for you, Esmeraude," replied Rose,  
a cold smile on her face.

The smirk on Esmeraude's face slipped a little. "What the hell"  
She glared. "Why aren't you afraid of me?"

Still smiling, Rose stepped up to the woman, who was a little  
shorter than herself. Her violet eyes betrayed nothing. "Why should I  
be afraid of you, Esmeraude? You don't even matter to me." Before the  
woman could respond, Rose pulled Endymion along and the pair sat next  
to Kalkia.

"Saffir, Rubeus, you will be accompaning us to where Kalkia  
believes the Omega Resistance cell is located. We have two possible  
positions so Saffir, you will accompany me, General Jedeite and Kalkia  
to point A, and Rubeus, you will accompany Alpha and Nephlite to Point  
B. Esmeraude and Rose, you will be waiting with the transport"  
Kunzite stated. "Any mistakes or arguements will be dealt with quickly  
and painfully." He paused, "Any questions now before we go?"

Rose spoke up. "I will accompany Alpha."

Kunzite's green eyes turned to study the pale woman. "Your  
orders are clear, doctor, that you'll be staying behind. You are  
medical staff, like Zoicite." He frowned, clearly displeased. She was  
not cooperating with their efforts to keep her out of harm's way.

Tossing her long hair, again oddly out of her usual braid, Rose  
stared at the general with empty eyes. "I will accompany Alpha. His  
mental programming has yet to be completed. He will be susceptible to  
mental attacks, if the Resistance has a wild talent in their ranks. I  
must be there to keep that from happening. Also, with Omega around, he  
must learn how to begin to combat her mentally."

Gritting his teeth, Kunzite narrowed his eyes. "Doct--"

"Let her come, Kunzite," interrupted Jedeite. "You know that  
test-tube boy there isn't exactly the perfect weapon he was designed  
to be yet and Metallia did want Rosebud to resume training soon. You  
should let her do her job."

"I think this is a bad idea," Kalkia stated simply and looked at  
her friend sharply. "You're holding his hand to much Rose. If he dies,  
we can make another one."

Endymion didn't even blink at her statement. It didn't surprise  
him in the least. Kalkia had shut her emotions down the day before;  
she was cold, ruthless, and just as dangerous as any given person in  
the room. Rose just looked at her friend and Kalkia tilted her head.  
'I don't trust you, Rose. If this turns to shit and you're there, then  
I know it will be your fault. You also know that I'll tell Kunzite and  
you'll be locked up or dead within twenty-four hours.'

Mirthless laughter filled Kalkia's mind. 'If this goes badly, it  
won't be because I fucked up, Kalkia.' Out loud, she replied, "I am  
not concerned with him dying. Alpha is expendable, as we both know.  
The important thing is the data I will be able to collect first-hand,  
useful information for subsequent projects."

Raising a pale eyebrow, Kunzite looked at the scene, confused.

Endymion had a confused look on his face, but, inside, he knew  
what had happened. The doctor had to shut herself off for awhile to  
recuperate. While she wasn't in a shell like before, she did have to  
draw on her own coldness and strength for awhile. She made herself  
darker, more emotionless, as Kalkia had done. It was a dangerous thing  
to do, because there was always a danger that the darkness would  
consume either one of them, but the price was small compared to the  
pain they would experience without the action.

Rose turned back, to face the generals, who were all still  
standing in mute surprise. "This is a necessary part of the project."

Nodding, Zoicite turned to face his comrades. "I would like to  
support her proposal. This would be an excellent time to more fully  
develop Alpha's mental offensive capabilities and Rose is the best  
qualified to do so."

Kalkia stood and pulled away from Rose. "Then let's get this  
done with," she said and with a quick decisive thought, completely  
severed the link between her and Rose. It was as if they were  
strangers now, it was completely gone. With mental fire, she burned  
the edges of it so it wouldn't be reestablished. She walked to the  
door, "Kunzite, Jedeite, Saffir? Coming?" She looked at the three men  
over her shoulder and walked out.

The group got to the transport ship and Endymion came to stand  
next to the red-head. She didn't look at him and for a moment he  
wondered if she even knew he was there. The transport touched down  
outside one of the older sectors of the enclave. The door wooshed  
open. Kalkia smiled, only the corners of her mouth turning up. "How  
many weapons do I have?" she asked in a distant and far away voice.

He looked down at her, puzzled. A brief sweep of her body made  
his eyes widen, "None."

"Good boy." She walked out of the transport and Saffir followed  
after her, nearly running. Nephlite came to stand next to Endymion and  
Rose.

"If it wasn't the Resistance I'd feel sorry for them," he said  
after a moment. "Kita's temper is going to get them killed." It wasn't  
too clear to which party he was refering, but Endymion felt pretty  
sure that it was going to be the Resistance that was hurting.

"You're not worried about her then?" Kunzite had come up behind  
them.

Nephlite chuckled and then nodded to Rubeus, "Let's go." He led  
the others out towards Point B. Kunzite and Jedeite followed after  
Saffir and Kalkia. They went into the first room and found that it had  
been stripped completely. Not to be discouraged, they went through  
every room. Suddenly there was a commotion from the room that Kalkia  
had last entered.

When Kunzite entered the room, he saw Minako staring at Kalkia  
angrily. There was blood running down the blonde's face, but Kalkia  
wasn't holding any weapon and was still a few feet away.

The redhead gave a small dark smile. The very violence in her  
posture seemed to startle both Kunzite and Jedeite. Saffir himself was  
standing next to the doorway, taking in all the sights with wide eyes.

"Well well," Kunzite chuckled, his boots crushing bits of trash  
as he walked up to the blonde. Jerking her hair, he forced her to look  
at him. "If it isn't the leader of the raggedy annoyance cell in Alpha  
One."

Jedeite blinked, his green eyes still somewhat confused. "I did  
not think that we were going to find you so easily, Minako."

Minako glared, "If you had waited two minutes, you wouldn't  
have," she snapped and forcefully kicked Kunzite in the gut. He  
doubled over and let go of her. She would have done more but Kalkia  
held up her hand. The blonde became completely frozen and looked at  
her with wide eyes.

"I suggest you don't try to move, bitch," Kalkia said calmly.

"Kalkia what on earth are you doing to her?" Jedeite finally  
asked.

"You know that I have power over gravity," Kalkia said simply.  
It was an easy lie to tell, for she did have that power. However, at  
the moment, she was controlling the muscles in Minako's body. The  
blonde literally couldn't move.

"Let her go, Dr. Skye. I'll take care of this myself," Kunzite  
said as he straightened. Kalkia clucked her tongue at him  
disapprovingly, but it was Jedeite who said something.

"Kunzite, you're too close to the situation. You're not going to  
be able to kill her. Besides, you like the chase, who's to say you  
won't let her go?"

Kunzite paused, looking at the blonde and thinking over his  
options. It was hurting a part of him, deep down inside, to see Minako  
treated this way. But he was a part of Alpha and she was the enemy.  
She had made her choice a long time ago and it wasn't him. His eyes  
grew stony once more. "Agreed. Skye, kill Minako. Jedeite, Saffir,  
come on. We need to proceed to the rendevous point." The trio left the  
room, leaving the two women alone.

"We have an old score to settle, bitch," said Kalkia softly as  
she began to squeeze her hand. Minako's eyes began to widen as the  
invisible pressure began to increase on her throat.

She began to make painful choking sounds as the air escaped her.  
She clawed at the invisible hands at her throat. When she was  
abruptly released, she collasped to her knees. She coughed up blood  
harshly drew in air. Kalkia began to circle her, the heels of her  
boots clicking against the cold metal floor.

"This isn't like you to do torture," Minako finally said when  
she was sure her voice wasn't going to be weak. She coughed again and  
Kalkia laughed quietly.

"You'll find that there are a lot of things that I do that  
aren't like me," Kalkia commented. "I'm not the same girl that sparred  
with you all those years ago, Minako. That girl died the day you  
left." She made a gesture with her hand and Minako rose off the ground  
and slammed into the wall. "You could have taken me with you, but you  
left me there."

"Sorry I'm not perfect," Minako wheezed as she drew herself to  
her knees. "I had other things to worry about."

"Like yourself?"

The blond resistance leader blinked, "That isn't fair, Kalkia."

"Isn't it?" She raised an eyebrow and there was a whoosh of air  
as five bloody lines appeared on Minako's chest and stomach. Her shirt  
was in tatters and blood dripped to the floor. "Life isn't fair, I  
guess. It sucks like a whore and then you die."

Minako glared and was forced to her knees. Kalkia slowly walked  
over to stand behind her. Blood was in the blonde strands and all over  
her face. "Are you ready to die, Minako?" she murmured softly in her  
ear.

"I never pictured you as a sadistic bitch."

Kalkia laughed softly, "Oh, Minako. I'm not sadistic. If I was,  
I'd be getting off on this. Sorry, but blood and girls aren't my  
thing. If you want sadistic, talk to Esmeraude. No, I'm not sadistic"  
She paused and the room was very still. "Then again, perhaps I am."

Minako waited for the blow to come, but it didn't. Kalkia was  
suddenly crouching in front of her, the tight leather pulled over her  
thighs as she gently tilted Minako's chin up towards her face. This  
was the first time that she had physically touched the blonde, but  
there was still no blood on her fingers. "It would hurt him to know  
that you're alive. To think that you're dead and then to see you  
again. It would kill him more and give him horrible and pleasureable  
nightmares." Her green eyes were cold but there was a faint glimmer of  
silver. "The Illusive Sunset is buried in a sea of diamonds. I'll  
await you there."

She let go of Minako's chin and the blonde sagged to the ground.  
"You're letting me go?"

"I want to kill Rei, not you. Rei violated me as no other man or  
woman has. She raped me more thoroughly then any person has ever  
dared. Now, go before I change my mind." Leaving the blonde behind,  
Kalkia left, her heels making small clicks upon the cold floor, the  
sound echoing in the hollow hall.

Rose shook her head. She knew what Kalkia had done, was doing.  
She hadn't expected that Kalkia would actually cut the link. Of  
course, if she wanted, Rose could have forcefully remade a connection,  
but what was the use of a link unless both people were going to use it  
to communicate? Kalkia would resent the intrusion and not speak to her  
for a long time. So all Rose could do at this moment was monitor  
discreetly and hope that her friend didn't destroy herself.

The cut connection was hurting both of them. Without the link,  
Kalkia's darkness was overwhelming her, backed by the strength of the  
Urge. She no longer had Rose's mental power to help keep some emotion  
in her psyche. Now, Kalkia was alone, without anyone to help her  
emotionally. For Rose, she would suffer from the loss of her best  
friend. It hurt like hell to lose Kalkia after all this time, but she  
couldn't deal with it now. Her body was beginning to hurt more, her  
mental abilities draining her more physically than before, without  
Kalkia's strength to help.

Endymion's warm hand on her elbow brought Rose out of her  
thoughts. He sent a tendril of power to her, helping to raise her  
sinking health. At the very least, Rose had Endymion to lean on and  
she still had to help him. Kalkia had no one for either.

And that was what Rose feared the most.

Rubeus and Nephlite were scanning the vicinity, looking for life  
signs. The room seemed abandoned. Narrowing her focus, Rose did a  
quick scan and discovered two lifeforms in a hidden alcove. The two  
men hadn't discovered them yet.

Quickly, Rose entered the two minds, and made them hear running  
footsteps in the distance.

"General!" Rubeus took off running, his gun automatically ready  
to kill the fleeing intruder.

"Stay here with Alpha, Ro. We'll go chase them." Nephlite took  
off, an energy blast charged and ready as he ran down the corridor.

'Leave, now! While I still can fool them.'

Luna and Artemis looked at each other. "Did you hear that," Luna  
whispered to her soulmate.

He nodded. They both froze in fear as the dark-haired woman and  
man approached their position. Were they caught?

The woman crouched down, her violet eyes serious as she tilted  
her head. "You should leave now, and hurry. They will kill you when  
they discover you and I cannot stop them." At her signal, the man that  
they now knew as Alpha opened the hidden door.

Both the woman and man held out hands to Luna and Artemis.  
Confused, the older couple took their offered hands. "Go, and hurry,  
to your friends. Minako is still alive. Don't wait for her. She will  
escape." Rose looked at the two, her face blank. "Good luck." Without  
saying another word, the pair left, to follow their comrades.

Still oddly confused, Luna and Artemis shot each other another  
look before shrugging and they too left the scene.

* * *

Saffir was waiting outside in the corridor for Kalkia and wasn't  
too surprised to see that her black leather was completely spotless.  
She tilted her head in inquiry. "Kunzite said to tell you to report to  
him when you're done," he said formally. "I'm to take the body in for  
inspection." 

"I didn't leave enough of a body to identify, Lt. Saffir"  
Kalkia began walking down the hall. "Minako is not going to get off of  
that floor. You might be lucky if you found a hair."

His eyes widened and when she looked over at him she saw he was  
a little green around the lips. She laughed softly and shook her head.  
Saffir's squimishness was well known and she loved to tease him about  
it. He was a lieutenant and still had problems with blood. Unheard of  
in Alpha's military.

"You can always go back and check for yourself," she suggested  
as they continued to walk away from the scene.

"I'll take your word for it," he said quickly. They walked in  
silence until they caught up with Kunzite and Jedeite. They were in  
the completely empty room of what seemed to be the cell's  
headquarters. Everything was gone. Computers, files, anything that  
might have helped them find out more about the resistance cell.

"Damn it! Those rats sure work fast!" Jedeite kicked the pile  
of trash on the floor. "They didn't leave us anything. How in the  
world did they clear out so quickly?"

Kalkia looked around the room and went over to a computer  
console. "It's possible they were warned," she said softly. "They must  
have known that we would be able to track them once we shut down the  
link."

Jedeite looked at her and for a moment was confused at her idle  
tone. There was no emotion, no feeling whatsoever coming from her.  
'Rose, what the hell is wrong with Kalkia?'

There was no answer. 'Rosebud?'

'General, Skye has cut off all mental connections to myself.'

The iciness of the response surprised Jedeite. 'Are you alright?  
Why do you seem so different?'

'I am functioning normally, General. Please keep all communications to a minimum.'

'What the hell is wrong with you two? You guys seem so different  
after the attack. It's as if you two are just like empty of emotion,  
like...'

'Like you and the rest of the Inner Circle?'

Jedeite paused, horrified. 'Is that what's wrong with you,  
Rosebud? Have your and Kalkia's darkness...' He trailed off, complete  
dread making him stop.

Bitter laughter followed and Rose abruptly cut off the channel.  
The suddenness of it caused him to stumble back a step. Both Kalkia  
and Kunzite looked at him sharply and he quickly shook his head to  
indicate there was nothing wrong.

Kunzite turned to Saffir. "And Minako's body?" he managed to ask  
calmly. Inside, there was a very small part of him that dreaded the  
answer.

"There isn't enough left to fit in a plastic bag," Kalkia said  
in a laughing tone. She was smiling, anticipating his reaction and  
watching him out of the corner of her eye. His jaw clenched and his  
hands became fists, but he did not lash out at her. "Want to know what  
her last words were, Kunzite? Or do you want to go back to the room  
and roll around in her blood?"

"Kalkia shut up," Jedeite hissed, hoping that this wouldn't end  
badly.

Kunzite's rage never made it out of his shell. His shoulders  
lost their tauntness and his posture failed for a brief instant.  
"Kalkia, please be quiet."

His subdued tone surprised both Jedeite and Kalkia. Saffir  
merely raised an eyebrow. The top general of Alpha was quite an enigma  
to him. Never had he thought that a man capable of various atrocities  
would be...wistful when a Resistance member had been killed.

Before Kalkia could goad him further, Nephlite, Rubeus, Endymion  
and Rose entered the room. Both Nephlite and Rubeus were scowling,  
while Rose and Endymion were completely blank.

"Report," said Kunzite, his green eyes regarding his fellow  
general coolly, no trace of his previous unreadable emotion.

"There were footsteps heard and the lieutenant and I gave chase.  
Unfortunately, the rebels escaped. There are no more life signs in the  
building besides our own." Rubeus nodded, like a good soldier,  
verifying Nephlite's report.

Kalkia shot a look at Rose but didn't say anything. Nephlite  
looked around, "You guys?"

"I killed Minako," Kalkia said idly.

Endymion blinked, "You're not even bloody." He was the only one  
in the room that would dare say it.

Kalkia shrugged, "If it's done right you don't have to get  
messy."

Rose raised an eyebrow, but like her friend, said nothing. "Well  
what now, gentlemen?" She leaned against a wall, hiding her tiredness  
with a look of boredom.

Frowning, Kunzite activated his communication device. "Send in  
the others. Have them comb this area thoroughly for any information we  
might be able to find." He deactivated the device before turning his  
attention to Endymion. "Alpha, do you detect any signs of Omega?"

Endymion shook his head. "There are traces of her, as well as  
the other Resistance members. However, they are hours old. They have  
gotten away."

Rose sighed. "And here I was, hoping to kill someone today"  
Pushing away from the wall, she motioned towards the door. "If you  
don't mind, I'll head back to the laboratory with Endymion. I need to  
continue the mental programming."

Kalkia stretched and sighed heavily, "I'm going to go to bed.  
I'm exhausted. Then again, killing--"

"Kita, shut up," Nephlite snapped. Surprisingly she did.

Kunzite turned on his heel and walked out of the room. Soon  
everyone was gone except for Nephlite and Kalkia. She raised an  
eyebrow. "Is something wrong?"

"Are you liking the darkness, Kita? The oblivion?"

Slowly she smiled and, for a moment, fear went through the  
general's bones. "A girl could get used to it."

Soft blue eyes watched them leave and tears stained the girl's  
cheeks. Part of her was in pain at seeing him like this. The other  
part felt joy to know that he would miss her. Perhaps her friend was  
right. Perhaps someday would come.

If they didn't kill each other first.

Slowly, Minako picked herself off the floor. 'Are you still  
there?'

'Yeah. He has left. He won't be able to pick up the soulbond  
now. You're safe. You can leave now.'

Nodding, Minako activated a hidden tunnel so that she could  
escape. Without Kunzite around, all she had to worry about was  
detection from the Alpha soldiers. They were easily handled. Kunzite  
had been her largest problem but luckily for her, Rose was able to  
dampen the general's senses of the soulbond between him and Minako.  
'Thank you, Rose. And I'm sorry, for everything.'

There was a pause. 'You're welcome. And don't be, Minako. Being  
sorry helps no one. It doesn't change what happened, nor the situation  
at hand. Fate gave us our lives and there is no trading it in for a  
better one. We have to take things as they come and make the best of  
it. Emotions don't change things, actions do. So feeling sorry for any  
of us is useless.' The connection got fainter. 'I have to go, Minako.  
Don't feel guilty anymore. Good luck.' The channel flickered and broke  
off, leaving Minako crawling through the tunnel, alone.

A faint smile graced her face. "Thank you," she whispered,  
feeling better than she had in years. With a renewed spirit, she left  
the past behind, ready to face the coming challenges and continue her  
fight for freedom.


	9. Chapter Eight

Disclaimer: Do not own Sailor Moon. Do not sue. Characters used without permission. 

Alpha's Omega

Chapter Eight - DRAFT

By: Kayla Chavi and The Rose Society

Rating: R

Email: EtrlSlrMn at aol dot com

* * *

Alpha Laboratory, Alpha One Enclave 

Rose fingered the keys of her grand piano lovingly. She had  
received the broken relic of another era for her third birthday, right  
before she was to be taken away for her education. It was a parting  
gift from her parents. She could barely remember how they had spent  
hours together as a family, putting together every piece of wood and  
metal, taking care to restore the lovely instrument.

When their mission to the resistance cell was over, the  
generals all left to resume their duties as members of the Inner  
Circle. Nephlite had tried to see if Kalkia was ok, but she had  
brushed him aside and left. Rose had followed, ignoring the questions  
the others sent to her, Endymion following close by. Kalkia had entered  
her quarters, and by the time Rose and Endymion arrived, was in a full  
out fight with Jonathon. He was pleading with her not to cut herself  
off, to give into the darkness. But Kalkia didn't care. The two were  
exchanging blows when Rose left, shaking her head.

She led Endymion back to the laboratory and gave him the next  
set of mental programs to assimilate. While he was resting,  
assimilating the new knowledge slowly to avoid an overload, Rose found  
herself with the burden of some free time. So she went to do what had  
been her passion in her childhood, a lifetime ago.

Sitting down, she pressed a key, listening to the beautiful  
C note ring in the air of her quarters. With a small smile, she began  
to play, slowly and mournfully. Minor, adagio, melodic, wistful, she  
let her hands speak for her, of her sorrow over Kalkia's rejection of  
their friendship, of the darkness pressing on her mind, of everything  
and anything.

She had been playing for over two hours when Endymion entered  
her quarters. He was somewhat tired, the vast amount of knowledge  
taking much energy to process. But at least he knew more now. It would  
help him much in his mission, to find Omega and destroy her. But right  
now, all he wanted to do was to let his mind rest. Knowing that Kalkia  
and Jon were probably still exchanging blows and words, Endymion opted  
for the safer, non-war zone of Rose's quarters.

He sat on the couch to the side of the piano, surprised. Rose  
hadn't played for a long time. It was amazing to finally see her play.  
It was clearly something she loved, something she did with a passion.  
Silent, he studied her oblivious figure, glad to see her return to a  
semblance of normality.

Her eyes closed, Rose continued to play, hearing nothing but  
the music her hands were coaxing out of the piano. A slight smile  
graced her face. It was her first moment of peace in a long time.  
Without her piano, sometimes she felt like if she were going to  
shatter into a million sparkling pieces, quickly swallowed by the  
darkness of her surroundings.

On her private console, a beep sounded, indicating an incoming  
communication. The music didn't stop. After about five more beeps that  
Endymion knew the doctor heard, the comm channel opened, the sender  
apparently overriding the privacy codes.

"Rose! ANSWER ME!" The icy rage was very noticeable.

Rose's hands stilled, her violet eyes finally opening, the  
smile instantly disappearing. "Yes, General Kunzite?"

"Come to my quarters. Immediately." The communique winked out,  
the general cutting his end of the conversation.

Endymion held his breath. The general, having allowed the  
death of his soulmate, was going to be in a foul mood. Endymion could  
tell that the silver-haired general was in pain, mouring his beloved.  
He was trying to push his pain away, trying to fill the emptiness in  
his heart with any light around him. Unfortunately, Rose was fighting  
her own demons. The faint sanity she still held would be of no help to  
the general.

Carefully replacing the dust cover for her piano, Rose stood  
up. Endymion stood as well and spoke. "Don't go to him. He'll hurt you  
again. This time, he might even kill you."

Rose turned her dark violet eyes on him, the lack of emotion  
surprising Endymion. Like a switch, her earlier true self had  
disappeared in a wave of apathy. Tilting her head, her dark braid  
swinging slightly, she smiled and took his hand. "I'm not going, Endy.  
After all, I'm going to be busy training you in anticipating Omega's  
fighting style. The general and anyone he tries to threaten me with  
can go to hell." She smiled emptily, even though a small part of her  
twisted in pain. "I'm too tired to care anymore." Turning, she walked  
away, her heart empty.

"I'm still stronger then you, Kaya," Jonathon said from his  
place over her. "That's something that you can't change." He was  
holding her wrists tightly over her head and stradling her waist. Her  
bright green eyes were glaring up at him angrily as she struggled.  
"Now, we're going to talk about this."

"Fuck you," she hissed and tried to butt heads with him.

"We'll do that after we talk. I promise." He placed more  
pressure on her hands and leaned over. "Now, tell me why you cut the  
link? Even I felt the backlash. It's like your falling into the depths  
of oblivion."

"Stop being so damned poetic," she snapped and turned her head  
to the side. She started to grind her hips against his. It was meant  
to distract him, which it was doing rather well. However, Jonathon had  
plenty of practice controlling his hormones when it came to her. "Let  
go of me or screw me. I don't want to talk."

"I don't care."

"Some lover you are."

"Sephiroth would tell you the exact same thing. Except he'd  
probably screw you first and then talk," he pointed out. It was a lot  
easier for him to discuss the silver-haired man when he wasn't on the  
same continent.

"Then perhaps I should go see him."

"You're not getting out of this that easily, Kalkia."

"Damn you," she looked up at him and her brillant green eyes  
were laced with silver and oddly enough, with tears. "Please just  
screw me, Jon. I don't want to feel anything but you inside me.  
Please," she pressed her pelvis up against his once more and he  
breathed in sharply. "I know you want me more then you want to argue."

"Sex isn't going to solve anything right now, Kaya."

"Lover, please," she whispered and caught his blue eyes with  
her own. "Please just screw me."

Jonathon gave a heavy sigh and leaned over her more fully. He  
kissed her temple and loosened his hold on her wrists. She wrapped her  
arms around his neck and it wasn't long until they were laying side by  
side, their clothes discarded. Kalkia pratically wrapped herself  
around him and he held her as she whimpered softly.

"You know I can't just screw you," he finally said and was  
rewarded with watery laughter.

"You and your stupid terminology. It's the same thing. Please  
just do it."

He sighed and kissed her gently. "I'll always love you, Kaya."

"I know." With that, she sealed his lips and no more words  
were spoken.

New Omega Cell Headquarters, Alpha One Enclave

Minako closed the door to her new quarters. There were boxes all  
about, thrown in there in the hectic process of moving the rest of the  
headquarters. She didn't have much in the way of personal possessions.  
All the boxes in her room contained various maps, tactical plans, and  
the like, in stacks of data devices. The rest of her fighters were all  
relieved when she made it back. Luna and Artemis were already at  
the new location, thanks, also, to the intervention, it seemed, of Rose.

Frowning, Minako thought back to the darkness that both women  
now seemed to have. It was such a contrast to the way she remembered  
them both, back in school. Then again, her own soulmate had changed a  
lot as well during his employment to Alpha. Plopping onto the bed,  
Minako stared at her ceiling.

She was always in control. No matter what happened, she was the  
logical one, the headstrong member of the group. But today, when she  
had seen Kunzite after such a long time, all her coherent thoughts had  
flown out the window, replaced with the image of HIM.

His hair was longer. It had been the first coherent thought that  
her mind had settled on. When they had been lovers, his hair had  
barely brushed his shoulders. Now it's length had surpassed his  
shoulders and reached his mid-back. She had always wanted him to grow  
it out, but he had said it would make him look too much like  
Sephiroth, who's hair at one point was nearly floorlength. Minako  
sighed and tried to pull herself away from the image of his silver  
hair.

That brought her to his eyes. She hated the cold pale green that  
they had become. She had been able to drown in the blue depths when  
they had made love, even when they had passed each other out in the  
hallways between classes. Now, they were a cold and inpenetrable  
wall and reveiled nothing. Even when she was on her knees in front of  
Kalkia and bleeding, they had been green. It made it easier to stop  
lusting after him.

To try to stop loving him, was a completely different matter.  
Even as blood fell from her body, even as Kalkia slowly pretended to  
kill her in front of him, she still loved him. When he turned his back  
to her, she cursed whatever god it was that gave them the soul bond.  
Only a sadist and something evil would force her to love him.

Minako sat down on her knew bed and closed her eyes to the  
images. It didn't get rid of them, but it made for a nice filter.  
Kalkia had let her go so she could torture him. Which meant that he  
still loved her. The blonde made a sound of frustration and rolled  
onto her stomach. She clenched the blankets and buried her face into  
her pillow and screamed.

Love never conquers all. Anyone who said otherwise was lying and  
should burn in the lowest of the nine hells. Her second scream was  
louder, but still muffled as she began dry sob. She had no tears, not  
anymore, but that didn't mean she couldn't mourn.

Alpha Laboratory, Alpha One Enclave

"Now, Endymion, next time you encounter Omega, you shouldn't  
have a problem like last time," Rose said as she rifled through the  
various weapons, deciding what to use. "So, in order for you to have  
the edge this time, you'll need be to able to anticipate her moves and  
use that to defeat her."

Frowning, Endymion looked at the dark-haired doctor's back, her  
customary braid hidden in the darkness of her Alpha uniform.  
"Shouldn't Kalkia be the one preparing me for the next mission? Her  
specialty is physical, isn't it?"

Rose didn't look at him as she picked out a sword. Handing the  
weapon to him, Rose took out her own personal weapon, a delicate blade  
with an intricate design carved into the metal. She let the light play  
off the deadly edge. "Kalkia is the physical expert, yes. But in the  
upcoming battles, you can't just expect to win with physical prowess.  
You'll need an advantage, something that Omega won't expect. That is  
where I come in. You'll need to be sharper than her, faster. Omega and  
the Resistance lack an expert of the mind. So Omega will be unprepared  
if you attack her on a mental level."

She ran a finger slowly over the side of the blade, watching the  
blood trickle down her hand from the slight pressure and the sharpest  
of edges. Healing her finger instantly with a thought, she looked at  
Endymion with dark violet eyes. "So today, I'm going to teach you how  
to break her rudimentary mental shields, to steal her thoughts, so  
that you may use that knowledge to kill her." She spoke matter of  
factly, her voice cold. She was doing her duty, what it would take to  
survive. Even though that meant teaching him to kill.

Nodding at Endymion, she replied, "This is the first lesson.  
During this fight, try to break into my mind. Try to read my thoughts  
and anticipate my moves. After you succeed, we'll move on to the next  
lesson." She lowered her own shields until they were at a level  
comparable from the ones she detected from Omega.

Removing his shirt, Endymion practiced a bit with the sword,  
warming up his muscles. "I am ready, doctor."

Rose smoothed the sleeves of her black long-sleeved shirt and  
tested the give of her matching uniform pants. It would be sufficient  
enough to fight in. She detested the leather that Kalkia and Esmeraude  
seemed to enjoy fighting in. It made her uncomfortable to let too much  
of her body shape be known. She liked to think of it as modesty.  
Kalkia called her a prude. She shrugged away the uncomfortable thought  
of her friend. 'Keep your mind on the task at hand,' she thought as she  
saluted Endymion with her sword. "En garde."

Before Endymion could make his move, Rose attacked him with a  
well-aimed move at his throat. Surprised, he barely was able to block  
the attack before she made contact. It was shocking. The doctor's  
style wasn't the same anymore. Before, when Endymion had analyzed her,  
he noted that the doctor was mainly a defensive fighter, her moves  
aimed to disarm and incapacitate, not kill. But now, she was moving  
faster, with deadly grace. She was out for blood.

Concentrating, he tried to look for an opening in which to move,  
even as he began to secretly decipher her mental shielding. He could  
see a weak shield, flawed in various areas, easily pentrated. It was  
very similar to what he had sensed in Omega the last time they met.  
Using the techniques he had learned from his numerous lessons from  
Rose, he began to prod with his powers as he sent an energy blast at  
the doctor. As she did a backflip to avoid the attack, he was able to  
bridge the defenses.

'Good job, Endy. She won't be able to detect you at her level.  
Now, finish the job.'

Endymion aimed a kick at the doctor's midsection, even as the  
flush of pride from her congratulations made him smile. It made him  
happy to please the doctors, since they were the only people he cared  
about in the whole screwed up organization. Instantly, he set up  
a channel, undetectable by a novice in mental warfare. Suddenly, he  
could see everything, the doctor's tight cap on all emotions, the  
darkness eating at the edges of her mind.

'Never mind that, silly,' Rose admonished as she sent her own  
energy blast at him. All gloves were off, since they were alone, and  
the doctor was using all her abilities, limiting only her own mental  
powers. She poured everything else into her physical body, in order to  
better fight at Omega's level. In a blur of motion, she was able to  
knock Endymion back a few steps.

He gasped air into his abused chest, even as he struggled to  
keep the tenuous hold on Rose's mind. He could finally sort out the  
jumble of mental activity and "saw" that the doctor was going to make  
a lunge. Taking that information, Endymion waited until she made her  
move, then twisted out of the way, as he used her momentum to pull her  
off her feet. Endymion maneuvered their bodies until they were both on  
the floor, his taller frame over hers. Knocking away her sword, he  
simultaneously moved his own sword until the edge was pressed against  
her throat.

Breathing deeply, Rose smiled. "Well done. Omega will be none  
the wiser."

Endymion grinned and removed his sword from her throat. They  
both moved to get up off the floor when the sound of the opening of  
the door caught both their attentions.

A very irritated looking Kunzite walked through the door. His  
cold green eyes lighted on Rose and they narrowed, taking in her  
compromising position. Both got up immediately. Endymion took a step  
forward, so that he was in front of the dark haired doctor. Kunzite  
tilted his head and crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm waiting for  
an explanation, Rose."

She shrugged, "I didn't feel like it."

Kunzite clenched his jaw and took a few more steps forward.  
Endymion moved to intercept him, but Rose placed a hand on his  
shoulder. Effortlessly she pushed Alpha out of Kunzite's way and,  
without any ounce of terror in her frame, she met the general's eyes.  
He stopped within a breath of her and took her chin forcefully in his  
hand. "I called for you, Rose. You will come."

Rose placed a hand lightly on his chest and gave a little push.  
"I'll come when I want to." Her violet eyes were black for a moment,  
and in that moment, Kunzite paused. "I was busy training Endymion"  
she said simply and then tilted her head.

Endymion frowned. He recognized her posture as one of Kalkia's  
trademark poses. The auburn-haired woman would make that pose right  
before she did something blatantly sexual. He knew for a fact that  
they weren't linked at the moment, so Rose wasn't pulling from Kalkia  
to do this. She was doing it all on her own, and that in itself was  
frightening.

Kunzite missed the silent signal, or if he saw it, he didn't  
care. "I outrank you, Rose. That takes precedence." He looked like he  
was about to continue, but Rose placed her fingers on his lips and  
dragged them over the pale skin. She looked at him as if he was a  
fascinating scientific specimen. He grabbed her hand and forced it  
away from his face. He turned to look at Endymion. "Leave, Alpha. The  
doctor and I have some things to...discuss."

Making a disgusted face, Endymion shook his head. "No, I won't  
leave unless I am sure that the doctor will be alright."

Rose smiled, reassuringly. "Don't worry, Endymion. The general  
won't hurt me. Will you, heart-brother?" She slid her free hand up his  
chest, stopping on his heart. Closing her eyelids over black irises,  
Rose leaned in and placed her head on Kunzite's chest.

With his other hand, Kunzite forced Rose's face up. Slowly, her  
eyes reopened, slightly unfocused. He looked into her obsidian eyes  
and a shiver went up his spine. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

With a predatory smile, Rose replied, "Nothing, Kunzite. Why do  
you ask? Everything is fine. I've just finally given into Alpha, to  
Metallia's power."

He paused. "What has happened to you?"

Rose giggled, emptily. "Nothing, dearest heart-brother. Nothing  
has been done to me that you haven't done to our heart-sister." Her  
laughter died, wiped from her face without a trace. "I've embraced my  
own darkness, as has Kalkia. We're the same as you and the Inner  
Circle." She leaned up, her voice soft. "Isn't that what you wanted"  
Her mouth met his in a soft kiss.

Kunzite froze and then shoved her away from him in an almost  
violent movement. Rose laughed quietly and her eyes slowly changed  
back to their dark violet. She was still smiling as he looked at her  
in disgust. "So you've become a whore and what, Kalkia's become more  
innocent?"

She shook her head, "Kalkia ripped Minako apart more completely  
then you have ever done. No, she's turned into a sociopath." She  
clasped her hands behind her back and looked demure for a moment. "Do  
you not like me now, Kunzite? Don't I please you anymore? I'm dark,  
just like you."

She moved back up against him and ran her fingertips down the  
front of his uniform. She felt him shudder and let her hand stop over  
his belt. She looked down and when she looked back up at his face, she  
kissed him again. It was more forceful, and, frankly, the general had  
no idea how to handle this sudden change in her. If it had been Kalkia  
before him, he would have thrown her across the room, or triggered the  
Urge, but it wasn't Kalkia. It was his innocent and naive Rose.

"Don't you want me, Kunzite?" she murmured in his ear, her lips  
playfully brushing across his earlobe. He placed his hands on her  
waist, meaning to push her away, but she pressed her body against his  
and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Don't I turn you on anymore"  
Her tongue dashed over the vein on his neck and he gasped.

"Rose, let go of me now," he growled in her ear.

"I can feel that you want me," her breath was hot on his throat.  
"Or are you shy in front of our audience?" She looked over her  
shoulder, "Endymion, leave."

Endymion complied, after tossing another glare at the general.  
He hoped that Rose knew what she was doing. If not, it would end up  
getting her killed.

She looked back at the general as soon as Endymion left. With  
a smile, she began to walk away, a slight sway in her hips. She wasn't  
hiding her femininity and Kunzite realized the difference from her  
past mannerisms. She kneeled and picked up her sword. "You always said  
that I reminded you of her, heart-brother. How I always fought with  
you, never gave into your arguments. That's why you rape me. I'm  
similar to Minako, but differ in one very important aspect. I am  
submissive to your advances, I follow orders. Minako wouldn't, didn't,  
back when you first joined Alpha. So that's why I'm safe, why you can  
use me and not endanger yourself to any reminder of her, to emotional  
pain."

She looked at the silver blade, her eyes darkening. "You use me  
as a reminder of the past, to keep yourself sane. Don't think that I  
don't know that. You're my heart-brother and I know you almost as well  
as Minako did." Closing her eyes, she tilted her head, as if she were  
listening to far-off music. "How do you feel, Kunzite, to know that  
everything you done to me, all the pain, the torture, has finally  
caused me to break? To know that you and the other generals gave Kalkia  
the Urge, the very force that is sucking her deeper and deeper into  
madness?" She fought the temptation to plunge her sword into her own  
stomach, turning her gaze once more on the general.

Kunzite watched her for a long and hard moment. "I feel  
nothing."

Rose narrowed her eyes and, in her frustration, she brought the  
sword up to shove into his chest. He stopped her easily and they ended  
with their bodies tightly pressed together. He nearly broke her wrist  
to get the sword out of her hands. Rose swallowed painfully and looked  
into his eyes. For the briefest instant, they were blue. When they  
became green again, she kissed him.

It was wild and passionate. It neared the point of becoming  
overwhelming. His hands pulled at her clothes and soon they were on  
the floor, tightly intertwined. They laid side by side, kissing madly.  
It might have been progressed further if Rose hadn't attempted to roll  
him over, to get on top. That's when the struggle started, the fight  
for dominance. It was a long and painful battle.

Finally, Rose sat on Kunzite's stomach, as they both panted  
for breath. Her hair disheveled, she looked inquisitively at the  
general. "Do you feel anything at all, anymore, besides anger and  
hatred, Kunzite? Do you honestly not feel any guilt for what you have  
done to us?" She sounded detached from the situation, as if them  
almost having sex a moment ago never occurred.

Deep down inside, something winced, but Kunzite was not aware  
of it. "What about yourself? Do you feel anything anymore, now that  
you have embraced the darkness, Rose? Look inside yourself and tell me  
what you feel, what I feel." He touched her cheek. "If you truly feel  
nothing, why did this tear fall?"

She tilted her head and dashed away the tear, an afterthought.  
"I feel nothing, like you, general. Everything and anything that made  
me care, died, in a wave of emptiness. We're the same now, even down  
to the fact that we killed our own soulmates for this darkness." She  
stood, rearranging her clothes and changed the subject. "If you want a  
roll in the bed, I'm game. I'll even play your bed games with you. But  
know one thing." She stared at him resolutely. "Never will I surrender  
to you again, General. You'll never be able to hurt me again, because  
I'll be as willing as Kalkia, in the throes of the Urge." She picked  
up her sword, her eyes black once more. With a flick of her wrist, she  
cut the elastic band holding her braid. She let her wealth of  
straight, midnight hair tumble over her shoulders, unrestricted. "I'll  
never be dominated again, not by you, Esmeraude, or even Metallia.  
You'll have to kill me first." She left the room, leaving Kunzite  
standing, alone.

Omega Cell Headquarters, Alpha One Enclave

The teleportation pad whirred as Michiru materialized. She was  
again her controlled self. The exhaustion, frustration, and depression  
she had been experiencing disappeared as the familiar mantle of the  
Cause transformed her back into the perfect soldier. She hated being  
weak. Luckily, it wasn't often that she broke down so completely as  
she had with Yaten.

Nodding at Luna and Artemis, she gave a small smile at Haruka.  
The blonde grinned and nodded. Without any other show of affection,  
the two women headed toward the briefing room.

"You guys were able to move everything, I assume," Michiru asked  
as she walked down the unfamiliar halls.

Haruka replied, "Yeah, luckily. We got a heads-up on the search  
from Nakazaki. We were lucky that she warned us. Nice to know that the  
woman isn't completely evil like the rest of the Inner Circle."

Frowning, Michiru looked at her soulmate. "Don't be fooled,  
Haruka. The doctor might have another agenda for warning us. Besides,  
she works for Alpha, and we might have to eliminate her to keep her  
from improving Project Alpha as a weapon." She stopped at the door  
s and activated the chime for admittance.

Haruka looked at her partner and gave a grim smile. "If it comes  
down to it, I'll have no qualms about seeing the doctor dead. But I  
would hate to have to kill someone who is helping us, who hates Alpha  
as much as we do."

"No one can get in the way of the Cause. Not even ourselves"  
The door swooshed open and the two ended their conversation, as they  
joined the others in the briefing room.

The long table was full but for two ajoining seats. The two  
lovers sat down briskly and waited for the briefing. The strain of the  
past three days had almost been wiped from the auras of most of the  
occupants. Everyone there was calm and controlled. In room full of  
friends and colleages, it was easy to ignore the past and concentrate  
wholly on the future. Michiru spared a glance at Omega to find the  
girl watching Minako intently.

"Thanks to the wonderfully cryptic clue we received as I was  
being torn apart," the blonde began dryly, "Makoto believes that she  
has found the location of the next artifact."

Michiru raised an eyebrow and looked over at the brunette who  
had arrived only moments before her. The tall green-eyed woman smiled  
slightly and bowed in her chair at the gasps of surprise. "It wasn't  
easy," she muttered modestly. "But I remember being told by Nephlite  
that the sea of diamonds was part of the underwater cities in Oceana  
Two, the late Pacific Ocean. I mearly had the computer calculate the  
exact center." There was no flinch or pause to indicate that she had  
ever made love to the general. For the most part, it seemed that  
Makoto believed what she had told people. It had been a passionate  
affair, but was based on pleasure, not love. So there was no loss  
except for the loss of sex. She had most of her friends convinced,  
perhaps even herself.

"When I analyzed the data that Makoto sent me," Taiki continued,  
"I conferred with Seiya. He says that in that location is the port of  
Neptune. He's currently there and finding out where the exact center  
of the city is. He believes that within the next thirty-six hours,  
he'll have the location."

"But Neptune is an old Sea Enclave. Most tourists go there. The  
sublevels don't exist there," Michiru argued. Neptune was the Enclave  
she had been born in and her birth parents still lived there. They had  
lost contact once she had joined the Resistance, for they were heavy  
supporters of Alpha. "There is hardly a military presence in the  
least. If the artifact is there, then it would be more heavily  
guarded."

"We believe that there might be a new type of security system  
guarding the artifact. One of our inside contacts is looking into it"  
Artemis explained. He was being completely serious, something that  
rarely happened, and when it did, the people in this room knew that  
the situation was getting pretty dire. "They believe to have something  
to help us within four days."

"That gives us roughly a week to prepare before we try to get  
it," Minako continued. "The relocation set us back a bit." She slapped  
a hand on the top of the table. "I want everything perfect, people. We  
don't have room for mistakes. Getting these artifacts are crucial to  
the bringing of Omega. That means more training, more survelliance,  
and more tactical planning. Oh, and try to avoid detection. We don't  
have time to relocate again." Rei flushed slightly in her seat.

There was a pause and Minako slapped the table once more,  
startling everyone. The only person who didn't jump was Artemis. He  
just blinked. Luna laughed quietly at her husband's lack of attention  
to the surrounding world. "Hop to it people!"

Alpha Laboratory, Alpha One Enclave

Endymion sighed. Kalkia and Jonathon hadn't left their quarters  
since the raid. Kalkia was too unpleasant to be around now, anyways.  
Her darkness had a firm hold on her now, influencing her every action.  
Rose didn't want to go bother her. Fortunately for them, Endymion's  
training had moved to a purely mental domain, so Kalkia's work was  
done and Metallia could find no reason to punish them.

Rose got a firm knock to Endymion's ribs, grabbing his attention  
again. "Don't get distracted, Endy. Keep your attention on your  
opponent at all times."

Sighing once more, Endymion continued to spar, trying to break  
Rose's mental shields again. Only this time, she was making an active  
attack of her own. Endymion renewed his offense, even as his thoughts  
wandered elsewhere. After the interaction with Kunzite, Rose had gone  
back to her quarters. She lasted until she reached her bed, where she  
collapsed. Endymion supported her as she sobbed quietly. Unlike her  
previous bouts, however, her tears stopped quickly this time and she  
resumed his training. She was losing her humanity, piece by piece.  
Soon, he feared, she would not even mourn their loss, would stop  
hating what she had become. She would be just like them, reveling in  
the complete lack of morals, of the finer emotions of humanity. The  
only good thing that would result from this was that Kunzite wouldn't  
be able to hurt her anymore, nobody would. Of course, it also meant  
that Rose lost one of her major sources of protection from death, if  
Kunzite no longer wanted to protect her. Once her usefulness was over,  
she would be marked for death.

'As I should be,' Rose sent as she bopped Endymion on the head  
again. 'Didn't I tell you to stop thinking about this? Once I am  
allowed to die, I'll take my own way out. No more of this shit to go  
through, Endy. Be happy for me and stop brooding.' The sparring  
session lasted a few more minutes before Endymion was finally  
victorious.

Rose smiled as she grabbed a towel, after handing him one. "Good  
job. You've done well thus far. Come on, get ready. We need to go  
report to the Inner Circle as to your progress thus far. They'll give  
you your next assignment."

Alpha Headquarters, Alpha Prime

Kunzite was frowning. "Why are you so sure they're going after  
the Illusive Sunset, Dr. Skye?" he asked from his place at the head of  
the table. The small group was brainstorming ideas and possible  
targets, and the auburn-haired doctor had brought up the possibility  
of the Illusive Sunset.

"Upon scanning the remainders of their data bases I found  
references to it," Kalkia said calmly. "Also before I killed Minako, I  
was able to search her mind. That was their next target."

"Minako's mental shields were amazing, Kita," Nephlite pointed  
out. "Even dying she could have projected the wrong piece of  
information to throw us off." Kalkia shrugged and leaned back in her  
chair. Her gaze flickered over to Kunzite for a brief instant before  
looking back at the chestnut-haired tactician.

"It's also the highest source of power. I think we can assume  
that they have used the Crimson Flame to enhance Omega. There is no  
possible way that she'd be able to use any other artifact but that  
one. Omega may be the perfect woman, but she still has a lot of  
training to do. They'll have to get a big power boost as soon as  
possible, and the Illusive Sunset fits the bill."

Jedeite sighed, "There is no way they'd be able to steal this  
artifact, not with the precautions that we put in place."

Endymion cleared his throat and the group looked at him. "I  
suggest that we set a trap for Omega then," he offered. "That way, if  
they do try to steal the artifact, then we can kill her."

"I like that idea," Kalkia said idly.

"I want Endy to absorb the power of the Illusive Sunset  
first," spoke up Rose. "After the last time, it would be more prudent  
to not have an actual target there waiting for them. Of course, it can  
only work this one time, since they'll be cautious afterwards and want  
to verify that the others haven't been absorbed before coming out of  
hiding. But still, it will work this once, to our advantage. Omega  
cannot be called without all seven of the artifacts, and just missing  
one will be an ace in our pocket. This way, if all else fails, Omega  
will have to come to us for this artifact, even if she gets all the  
rest." Her voice grew colder. "And when she does, we'll be able to  
eliminate her. After all, Metallia's pet generals should earn their  
keep. Perhaps you four could fight Omega instead of leaving it up to  
someone else?"

Zoicite shot Rose a look, "When you have a weapon, you use it.  
We are not only generals but leaders."

"Then lead already," Kalkia muttered, playing with the end of  
her braid and looking slightly annoyed at the whole situation.

Kunzite was looking thoughtful, as if he was seriously  
considering Rose's proposal. Slowly he nodded, "Very well, Endymion  
will go to Sea Enclave Two and absorb the artifact. We'll kill Omega  
then."

"And if she escapes?" Nephlite asked quietly.

"Chase her," quipped Rose as she rolled her eyes. "Can we hurry  
up? I'm bored."

Jedeite looked at her in surprise. "Rosebud, what's wrong with you?"

"Ask Kunzite," said Rose in a singsong voice. She paused,  
tilting her head in contemplation as her eyes darkened. "And don't  
call me Rosebud, General. I'm not a fucking flower."

Confused, Jedeite moved to take her elbow, but Rose glared at  
him with her black eyes and smacked his hand away. He froze, seeing  
her eyes, then looked at Kunzite, asking silently, what the hell was  
going on.

He didn't answer. "None of the doctors will be accompanying  
Alpha during this mission. Nephlite and Jedeite will be in charge.  
Neph, they'll need someone to help navigate the defenses in this  
place, and since you designed it, you're nominated."

"Finally, I get to get out of the office," Nephlite grinned.  
He wanted to dispel the odd tension in the air. Besides that, of the  
four generals he was the most playful, the one to look for the  
positive in situations. Even his darkness hadn't changed that,  
although what he found positive had changed.

"Jedeite is going because Omega most likely will not be  
travelling alone," Kunzite continued, "Endymion will need help  
managing her bodyguards if that is the case. Omega, we want dead. The  
others, death is a luxury. It would be nice to get someone important  
from the Resistance in for questioning."

Jedeite just sighed and nodded. Kalkia stood, "Then if we're  
done, I'm going. Jon and I have plans." She looked at the group, as if  
daring them to comment. But no one said a word. Kalkia was  
disappointed as she left, as if she were looking forward to a  
confrontation.

Again, Jedeite tried to approach Rose, but she ignored him as  
she took Endymion's arm. She was oddly out of her lab coat, her entire  
outfit consisting of black. The only relief from her monochrome look  
was her skin. It was odd, since Jedeite knew that Rose liked happier  
colors. And her hair was down, another out of character move for her.  
He was getting odd readings from both the doctors.

"What the hell happened, Kunzite?" He whirled around, worry  
and confusion clashing for dominance in his facial features.

Kunzite shrugged, "It's a side effect of whatever it was that  
Rei shoved through them. I think that Kalkia and Rose broke their link  
but I'm at a loss as to why." He began to gather up data pads as he  
stood. "I suggest leaving for the Enclave tomorrow morning. Get some  
sleep."

"That isn't an answer," Nephlite said a little angrily. He too  
had noticed the change, but his worry was more for Kalkia. It was odd,  
he didn't know why he was bothered by the fact that she was less  
sexual now then before. Yes, she still had the Urge, but it didn't  
seem to control her like it had before. Then again, perhaps she was  
taking her drugs like she was supposed to.

Kunzite's cold green eyes met Jedeite's and then Nephlite's.  
"I don't have any other to give you. If Rose wishes to tear her psyche  
apart, that is her business. Alpha is almost completely trained and  
well," he shook his head, "Kalkia is free to kill herself whenever"  
He left the room, not wanting to be questioned further.

Jedeite and Nephlite immediately turned their attention to  
Zoicite. "Spill," said Nephlite.

Zoicite looked down at his clasped hands. "I don't know what  
the hell is going on. When I went to go see Kalkia, she said that she  
didn't need the drug anymore. And then she closed her door on me. When  
I tried to get an answer from Rose, she was like you see her now,  
completely unreasonable. She yelled a variety of obsenities in my face  
before she said that Kalkia cut the link to save her from the darknes  
s but that Kalkia didn't know that she cut the only thing that could  
save them from madness." He rubbed the bridge of his nose. "After that  
cryptic muttering, she practically threw me out of the lab."

Sighing, Jedeite tried to process the information. "Those two  
have been through quite alot these past few weeks. Completing the  
project so quickly, Metallia, Esmeraude, not to mention saving all our  
lives...do you think they snapped?"

Nephlite sat down, worried. "Kalkia is not as sexual as she was  
before. Why is that, if her darkness has consumed her?"

'You assume that the Urge would make her more sexual if she was  
taken over by it,' came a voice in their heads. 'You're wrong. The  
Urge has manifested itself into hatred, loathing, and a iciness that  
Metallia herself can barely rival.' Bitter laughter was coming from  
the mind-voice they now recognized as Rose. 'You bastards took her  
soul and left a Kalkia with no morals, no mercy, no method of control,  
and a very powerful body.'

"That was rather foolish of us," Nephlite said dryly and sighed.  
"So now we have a psychotic Rose and a sociopathic Kalkia. Not bad for  
a day's work."

"You're sick, Nephlite," Jedeite glared and the brunette shrugged.

"If you can't see humor in the situation then everything becomes  
bleak and depressing. I refuse to let myself fall that far. So what if  
my jokes are a little declasse?"

Zoicite shook his head, "We need to find a way to control  
Kalkia. Rose can take care of herself; she may have the darkness but  
she's never had sociopathic tendencies. Rose was never meant to be a  
warrior. Kalkia trained with the military faction for seven years."

"Any bright ideas, or are we just going to have to kill her"  
Jedeite grumbled.

Giggling filled their minds. All three of them frowned and tried  
to shut Rose out. But, oddly, she was able to stay, her giggling still  
very apparent. 'You think you can kill her?' White-hot anger lanced  
their minds and they all cried out in pain. 'Don't over-estimate  
yourselves. You might find yourselves pleasantly surprised.' She added  
another twist of pain before the link winked out.

Clutching his head, Zoicite looked at the other two generals.  
"How the hell did she DO THAT?!" Bile filled his throat and he choked  
down the sensation to vomit.

Nephlite, pale with cold sweat beading at his brow, glanced at  
Zoicite. "Maybe it's because she's been a part of us for so long, our  
shields don't block her out as much. I'm not sure, but who cares? What  
we need to worry about is the fact that we have two whacked out  
doctors on our hands. What the hell are we going to do?"

Jedeite felt sick, not just from the pain his heart-sister had  
just inflicted on him. "I don't know," he whispered as he shut his  
eyes, blocking the tears before they came. "Let Kunzite take care of  
it. He's in charge, after all."

Alpha Laboratory, Alpha One Enclave

Kalkia stood at the top of the complex building and looked down  
into the enclave. From here she could see almost the entire enclave  
that used to be Tokyo. She folded her arms over her chest, as if she  
was cold and closed her dark green eyes. Contemplation and  
introspection were two things that she hated most, yet here she was,  
on top of the highest building in the area, looking into the depths of  
her heart.

She wasn't too surprised to find that she no longer had one. The  
first sign that she had lost it was the fact that she didn't care. She  
knew that she was giving into the darkness that had taken over her  
four brothers, that she was becoming like them, and she didn't care.  
No, instead of being horrifed by what she was now, she embraced it. It  
was the one thing she understood, she knew what she was.

A demon. That's what she had become. Well, perhaps not a demon,  
more like hell's angel. She was still beautiful, still lovely, but  
still so very dangerous. Jonathon had left her bed. His empathy  
couldn't stand to feel what she was, couldn't be in the same room as  
her for more then three minutes at a time. He loved her, yes, but he  
also loathed the taint of her soul. Then again, she had no soul, so he  
loathed the emptiness.

As she looked over the precipice that led down into the  
sublevels, she thought about jumping. Would she survive the fall?  
Could she survive it? Or would her mind fight for survival and force  
her to save herself. She laughed at the idea but took a step away from  
the edge. No, she would not jump. She didn't have the will to kill  
herself, even if she had nothing to live for anymore.

"It's always darkest before dawn."

"Dawn isn't coming for me. It hasn't for a long time." She  
turned to face the intruder. Sephiroth stood there and Kalkia tilted  
her head. "Why are you here?"

"Just passing through. I had to give a report to General  
Kunzite. He mentioned you were here."

Kalkia laughed bitterly and turned her back to him. "Go away,  
Sephiroth. Go back to your army. Forget."

"Never, Kaya, you know I could never."

"You'll hate me if you stay."

"And will you care if I do?"

"Not really."

"Then it doesn't matter if I stay. Even if it is only for five more  
minutes."

She couldn't stop the small smile that appeared, and she didn't  
stop him from wrapping his arms around her. "The darkness isn't so bad  
once you get use to it," she whispered. "Once it consumes everything  
it has no where else to go."

"I know." He kissed the top of her hair. "Just don't jump." He  
pulled away and turned to leave her. She caught his hand and his  
aquamarine eyes met her dark green. Softly she kissed the back before  
letting it drop.

Her voice was a faint murmur when she finally spoke. He was  
almost in the elevator shaft when he heard the whisper. "Be back before dawn."

* * *

Rose charged up to the next group of opponents, her black eyes  
glittering. With a swift move, she hacked into them, her sword biting  
through flesh and bone as if it were paper. It was so much more  
satisfying to kill with a sword, where she could watch the holograms'  
faces contort with pain, surprise, and see how their eyes glazed in  
holographic death. She had asked the computer for the hardest level of  
battle, with all safetys off. There was a real chance that someone  
could be killed at this level, not that she cared. She rammed her  
sword in the torso of another enemy, the warm holographic blood  
bathing her grim face. 

Endymion was somewhere in the melee, killing enemies with a  
variety of weapons, honing his abilities. He was practicing for the  
upcoming mission and this was the best way, since Kalkia wasn't even  
noticing him or her duties as an Alpha scientist right now. Rose had  
suspended his lessons in mental warfare at the moment. He could feel  
that she had a desire for violence, for killing. It was an odd  
sensation to be feeling from the quiet doctor, but he knew better than  
to argue. With their link, he knew that she would never attack him  
intentionally, but...he shuddered to think what she might do in a  
rage.

His mind wandered to the upcoming mission. It would be his  
first time venturing out into the world without the doctors. Would he  
be able to make it? Mentally, he knew he could. Kalkia and Rose had  
instilled him all the knowledge that he needed for survival. He was  
physically and mentally superior to any and all humans out there. Only  
Omega could present a challenge to his physical skills now but he was  
better than her in mental skills. But somehow, it unnnerved him to  
have to go on a mission without the doctors. They were his entire  
world, in a way. They were his creators, the only ones who cared  
anything about him, his only friends.

Would he be able to kill Omega this time? He had been able to  
gain control over his physical reaction to her presence, after the  
failed experiment when Rei attacked. So he would not be distracted  
this time. But could he truly do it? To destroy her with an energy  
blast, to smash a weapon through her body, to watch her eyes fill with  
pain, her lovely features contort, then grow slack with death...could  
he truly use his own hands to bring about the death of his soulmate?

'Why not? I did.'

Endymion's head jerked up in surprise. 'You were in my thoughts?  
How come I didn't detect you?'

Rose laughed. 'Endy, you have a ways to go before you can  
utilize all the powers you and I share. At least mentally.' She  
yawned. 'I'm tired. Are you ready to stop yet? You're already in the  
best shape you could possibly be and still be human. You can't  
physically improve any further. You're as ready as possible for the  
next mission.'

'True. Let's stop. I want to go finish reading that novel.' Rose  
had gotten him started on reading old material from before the Era of  
the New Order. He found it rather enjoyable, to see how humanity had  
created such universes in their minds. There were no such things now,  
since Alpha had deemed such pursuits as a frivolous waste of time. But  
the old material remained, in muesuems and in the hands of a few  
collectors, like Rose. True to his cognitive blueprint, he was a very  
avid reader, already going through most of Rose's collection on early  
works. He was already on the medieval period. He knew that it had  
pleased the doctor immensely to impart to him something other than  
the training to kill, to make him more human, as it were, instead of a  
weapon.

The training session ended. In a flash, all the blood and gore  
that had soaked them a few moments ago disappeared. That was one of  
the advantages of the high-tech Alpha training room. Rose re-sheathed  
her sword, to its now customary place along her spine. With a tug, she  
loosened her hair as the pair headed back to her quarters. Endymion  
had his own cot in his own separate room of Rose's quarters. He hated  
sleeping in the laboratory, the stillness disturbing him. So Rose  
relented, and allowed him a portion of her quarters. She might have  
made him stay with Kalkia, but Kalkia and Jonathon would have kept  
Endymion awake...besides, Kalkia was now too volatile for anyone to be  
close to her, not even her own soulmate. Inwardly, Rose breathed a sad  
sigh. Somewhere, she mourned for this horrible turn of events. But it  
was a dull ache, buried deep under a sea of other things. Mentally,  
she noted how her emotions were dying, slowly, but she did nothing to  
stop the process. Better this way, so that she could finally find a  
peace of mind.

With a swoosh, they entered Rose's quarters and they parted to  
their separate rooms. Endymion immediately commenced on reading a  
fascinating novel about castles and knights while Rose showered and  
changed into a comfortable pair of flannel pjs. She frowned at the  
cheerful color. She really needed to requisition some new clothing,  
she thought as she slid under the covers. Preferably in black, or  
some other depressing color. Closing her eyes, she was soon fast  
asleep.

* * *

Carefully, the figure made its way towards the door. Pressing a  
hand over the pattern recognition scanner, it overrode the security  
measure and the doors opened silently. Entering the domicile, it  
noticed that the man had fallen asleep. Knowing that its intrusion  
would go undetected, the figure went into the other room, the sound of  
its step muffled through a trick of its will. 

The little light by the bed illuminated the figure's face.  
Kunzite waited, hoping that his entrance would not wake the room's  
occupant. It didn't and the soft breathing continued undisturbed. His  
boots shone with dim light as he walked up to the bed and sat on the  
floor next to it. As he did so, his eyes fell on a image generator on  
the nightstand. He picked it up.

It was a picture of Jedeite, Nephlite, Zoicite, Kalkia, Rose and  
himself. It was an informal image, taken when they had all passed the  
higher level exams in weapons training. As he sat there, the image  
changed, to one of just him and Rose. It was back in the arboretum,  
during a special lunch the six of them had shared, during a day off  
from classes. He had his arm around her shoulders, playfully choking  
her, as she jokingly punched him in the arm. They were both smiling.

He put back the generator as quickly as possible, not wanting  
to see any more images of days gone by. After all that had happened,  
Rose still kept images of them, of him, with her. He and the other  
generals had rid themselves of all vestiges of their past, not needing  
them any more once they became the Inner Circle. Kalkia, when the  
generals had spurned her after the experiment, had destroyed all her  
old remembrances of her school days, in a binge of anger and sadness.  
But Rose hadn't. Her room in her quarters were filled with sentimental  
junk, so Jedeite had teased. Her piano, a relic of another age, stood  
quietly in a corner. Paintings, old books, her room was a testament to  
the past. She called them happier days. Were they?

Kunzite didn't think so. At least, that's what he told himself.  
Back then, he had been a boy, with no power. Now, he was the highest  
ranking Alpha official, second to only Metallia herself. Amongst all  
the generals, he was the one who issued the orders, not the other way  
around, as it was in the past. Instead of a single relationship with  
Minako, he now had women throwing themselves at his feet. Heck, he  
even had men throwing themselves at his feet. Of course, it was his  
power that attracted them in the first place, but he had his pick of  
partners now. He could want for nothing, Alpha provided everything for  
him.

'Kill me and get it over with. I hate you. I can't believe that  
I ever thought you were my heart-brother. You aren't him. You only  
look like him and even that is debatable.' Rose's features had been  
twisted in pain when she said those words. It was back during the  
first time he had seen her after the change, when she came to find out  
why he had allowed the experiment on Kalkia, when he had raped her...

He never told anyone, not even himself, that those words had  
hurt. Having just lost the mate to his soul and his other  
heart-sister, the one last person close to him was ripping his heart  
apart. There was only one pain greater, that of losing Minako.

When he saw her there, standing so proudly even in the face of  
certain death, he felt that old love again, for one pure moment of  
time. And then instantly, it disappeared, lost in the emptiness that  
had always been a part of him, that Metallia had heightened to an  
infinite degree. She was slimmer now, her face losing some of the  
fullness of youth, back during their school years. Her body was more  
toned, no doubt from the years of battle she had been through. Her  
eyes were empty, not holding their old sparkle as they once did  
whenever he saw her in the school halls. And when her lovely face  
turned to meet his, her hatred and loathing of him was apparent in a  
second. There was no second of hesitation, no chance for redemption in  
her heart for him. No, there was merely anger. And he responded in  
kind.

No, Alpha did not give him the love of a friend or a soulmate.  
But it didn't matter. Those things were trivial. The figure in the bed  
stirred and Kunzite looked up in alarm. Rose's pale face was pained,  
and her fist clenched the covers, her knuckles turning white. Her  
breathing became harsh before the pain ebbed away. The pain did not  
wake her. Kunzite sat there, relieved that she had not detected him.  
Zoicite had told him what happened, how Rose had attacked them. Had  
all the things they done finally caused her irreparable damage? It  
seemed as if it had. In the dark room, he could sense that corrosive  
emptiness inside his heart-sister, if he concentrated. Was he going to  
lose his last link to his old life?

So what if he did? He felt nothing for the girl. Whether she  
lived or died didn't matter to him. Neither did the death of Minako.  
Both of them had made their choices. So he sat there, long into the  
night, holding Rose's hand, trying to convince himself that the fear,  
guilt and pain he felt, weren't there.

Near Neptune Enclave, In Oceana Two

Serenity looked at the pacing tactician and frowned in worry.  
The tall brunette was pacing the length of the small underwater  
vessel that would sneak them into the enclave. She had only met the  
woman recently, but had developed a liking for the brash freedom  
fighter. "Makoto, are you alright?" she asked after about the seventh  
pass.

Makoto looked up and tried to smile, but failed miserably. Her  
face was pinched and her fists clenched into tight balls. "I'm fine,  
Serenity," she managed to get out in a strained tone.

"Are you sure?" Serenity pressed, "You don't look good."

Rei chuckled from her seat on the other side. "Mako doesn't like  
closed in places."

The blonde shot Makoto a surprised look while Makoto shot a  
deadly look at Rei. "I don't like enclosed spaces for a reason, Rei"  
Makoto said between gritted teeth. "They are a defensive nightmare,  
since it reduces the room needed for maneuvering." She began pacing  
again, her face troubled.

In hushed tones, Rei pulled Serenity aside. "Makoto hates small  
areas because of what happened to her parents. They were killed in  
transporter malfunction during their vacation. They got stuck in a  
pocket of rock and suffocated." She shook her head. "Horrible way to  
die."

Makoto kicked a bulkhead. "That wasn't some stupid malfunction,  
Rei! Alpha ordered their deaths because they wouldn't hand me over to  
be educated!" She spat the last word out like an expletive.

Serenity jumped and looked a little surprised at the outburst.  
"Educated?"

"We were all pulled into the Alpha Elite School program," Rei  
said quietly, "Genetics at its best and we were the best of the best.  
It's why we know the Inner Circle so well. We went to school with them  
for a time."

"Oh." Serenity looked down at her hands a little sadly.

"And I still had to go to the school even after they died"  
Makoto muttered. "And they wonder why I'm pissed at them." She ran a  
hand through her pony-tail and continued to pace. "You know that they  
tried to erase my memories of my parents? Of all they had instilled in  
me, their values, their hopes and dreams. It was awful. They tried to  
make me believe in the 'goodness' of Alpha, how it was protecting us  
all. And it would have worked but thankfully someone interfered with  
the process and protected my mind. Alpha doesn't even know. Since then  
I've acted like the perfect student until I was able to join the  
Resistance." She hugged herself, trying to ward away the unpleasant  
memories.

Serenity looked at her hands, both sad and a little  
uncomfortable. She felt the desire to go and hug the older woman and  
tell her that they would win, and everything would work out the way it  
was supposed to. However, she really didn't know how to deal with this  
sort of emotion.

Rei gently touched the blonde's shoulder and then went over to  
Makoto. "Let's concentrate on the mission, alright?" The dark haired  
bodygaurd offered in a quiet undertone. It was meant to be comforting  
instead of closing things from Serenity. "This will bring us that much  
closer to Omega and destroying Alpha."

The words seemed to comfort Makoto a small amount as she nodded  
and hastily wiped her cheeks. Only a few tears had escaped her tight  
emotional control. She forced herself to sit for the duration of the  
sea voyage. "Seiya is meeting us, right? He has the location and the  
codes we'll need?"

"Yes." Rei looked over the blueprints of the enclave. "You've  
both memorized the plans, correct?" The other two nodded. "Then we  
shouldn't have a problem. All we can do now is sit back and wait until  
we reach the enclave.

Alpha Base, Neptune Enclave

Nephlite pondered the security maps carefully. Undoubtedly, the  
Resistance would be headed straight for the center of the city. The  
spies had reported increased activity amongst the rabble, signifying  
that something large was going to happen. There wasn't much of a  
military presense in Neptune, since it was largely a community of  
visitors, not settlers. Besides, the city was largely dependent on the  
land above for supplies, oxygen and the such. If there was a sort of  
uprising, Alpha could easily crush it by flooding the entire enclave  
dome.

Next to him, Jedeite and Endymion sat at the table. Endymion had  
already absorbed the Illusive Sunset and was examining the powers that  
the boost had given him. The blonde general, on the other hand, was  
oddly quiet, pensive.

"We can expect Omega not to be alone," Nephlite said, finally  
breaking the consuming silence. "She'll probably have at least one  
other resistance member with her. At the most, three, but I'm betting  
that it's just a bodyguard and a tactician. They need someone smart to  
get through the tunnels. Too many people could jeopardize the  
mission."

"Who do you think it will be?" Endymion asked as he opened his  
eyes. He felt more rested then he had since he was born. Everything  
was sharper to his senses. He could see things much more clearly and  
his hearing had dramatically improved. He looked at Nephlite after  
casting a brief glance in the stoic Jedeite's direction. He was  
confused as to why the general wasn't boring them with his normally  
insessant chatter. He wasn't a person to stay quiet or still for very  
long.

"Most likely the two that were with her before. Haruka, the  
woman with the scar on her face. She managed to get out of Esmeraude's  
playroom without even knowing the layout. We can assume that they do  
know this layout and Haruka would be prepared. The other is most  
likely," Nephlite paused and looked at his friend briefly, "most  
likely Rei."

"It's definately Rei coming," said Jedeite softly, the first  
time he had truly spoken in a long while. Closing his eyes, he  
concentrated on brining the shining, thin connection of soulmates  
closer to his attention. "I can feel her presense, it is nearing this  
area."

Frowning, Nephlite honed his mind as well. "There is someone  
else coming." He smiled bitterly. "It seems my former beloved is  
heading this way as well." His body tensed, his mind unsettled.

Standing up abruptly, Jedeite grabbed a few weapons from the  
rack. Strapping them to his combat uniform, he looked at his two  
companions. "Well Neph, it looks like it's time for us to see our  
old flames again." He popped a bullet into the chamber of his gun and  
nodded. "Let's give them a welcome they won't forget, shall we?"


	10. Chapter Nine

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon is copyrighted by Naoko Takeuchi, etc.  
Ruroni Kenshin is the property of Nobuhiro Watsuki, etc. No  
profit is made from these fanfictions. Fic plot property of the authors.

Alpha's Omega  
Chapter Nine - DRAFT  
By: Kayla Chavi and The Rose Society  
Rating: R

* * *

Seiya looked like the last person she would ever suspect as an  
assassin. First of all, his hair was thin and long, having been pulled  
into a loose ponytail. Next, the hermaphodite was wearing these  
tasteless blue leather pants that were very tight against his body.  
The black leather vest was sadly too big for his slight frame and he  
was wearing sandals. Serenity looked at him and simply blinked. 

"Did we make a mistake?" she finally asked Makoto. Her innocent  
tone made Seiya smile and he chuckled quietly. Both Rei and Makoto  
laughed as well, the brunette shaking her head as she did so. "But I  
don't even see a weapon."

"Trust me," Rei said patting the blonde's shoulder. "He's one of  
the few people that can put Minako to shame when it comes to hiding  
weapons." They sat down at the bar's table and Seiya ordered them a  
round of drinks. He winked at Serenity and she began to look confused.

"Looks like Demando's pet project still has a level of  
innocence. How did the old guy manage that?"

Rei rolled her eyes, "Seiya, just be glad that I didn't bring  
Haruka with us. She would have no problem answering any questions  
about Serenity you might have. Now, I believe that we're here for a  
reason?" She arched a dark brow and looked at him sternly.

Nodding, the amusement bled out of Seiya's face, leaving a cold,  
battle-hardened warrior behind. "It took quite a few tries, but I was  
finally able to get my hands on the codes for the security system that  
is guarding the Illusive Sunset. It's state of the art, Makoto. You'll  
have your work cut out for you if you screw up. That thing has been  
designed by the best. Completely hack-proof."

Reaching into his vest, Seiya appeared to be scratching an itch.  
After he pulled his arm out, he put his arm around Makoto's shoulders.  
Using his other arm to pinch her cheek, the arm around her shoulders  
gave her a rather inappropriate touch to Makoto's chest. The two  
shared a laugh, as if was only a simple case of flirtation. "I just  
slipped you the disk with the codes on them. Just insert it into the  
keypad at the entrance of the caves. The thing is on a timer, you'll  
have only thirty minutes to leave before the doors close behind you.  
There isn't a way to open them from the inside unless you have a  
master override. Only the Inner Circle general has that. Inside, the  
building is a maze. There is no information as to where the artifact  
is hidden." He took a swig of his whiskey.

Makoto nodded, "When is the best time to attempt this?" she  
asked as she easily slid out of Seiya's arms. They still sat close  
enough to carry on the flirtation if it became necessary. "Any  
particular round of guards we want?"

Seiya grinned boyishly, "Of course. The best time is to go at  
midnight, you know that Koto." The brunette rolled her eyes at him and  
slapped him playfully on the shoulder. "I'm being perfectly serious of  
course."

"Of course," Rei said seriously, but even she couldn't help but  
smile. "Anything we need to be made aware of?" she asked, going back  
to the seriousness of before. Seiya was silent for a long moment and  
the noise of the bar began to get louder as he stayed silent. "Sei?"  
she prompted.

"I ran into the Guardian of Time," he finally said. "Things are  
going badly near the top and might just spin out of control."

"That's good, isn't it?" Serenity finally pipped up. "Anything  
that causes them chaos is good."

Seiya shook his head, "You're wrong there, Odango--"

"Odango?" She looked at him surprised. She didn't know him well  
enough to warrant a nickname, and she wasn't sure if she liked it.  
"Odango means dumpling in Japanese before the institution of Standard  
by Alpha. My name is Serenity."

Rei chuckled, "Seiya just likes to be annoying. Ignore him."

Seiya grinned and tugged on the stream of hair that fell from  
one of the two buns on top of Serenity's head. "Odango," he said  
simply and then continued, "We're talking the unraveling of some very  
important people. Apparently something happened a few weeks ago and  
they're still staggering. If it continues for too much longer, its  
possible it will start killing."

Makoto sighed heavily, "Did she say anything that will allow us  
to make sure that we don't start a killing spree?"

He shook his head, "She's going to do her best to fix it  
herself. If not, she'll contact Yaten and have her contact Death.  
Death can fix anything, I hear."

Rei ran a hand through her hair and finished her drink, "We'll  
worry about that later. After we pass the info to Minako," slowly she  
stood. "It's time to do this and get out of here." Serenity and Makoto  
also stood. Seiya remained in his seat and leaned back. He looked up  
at them seriously and nodded.

"Try not to get killed."

Alpha Laboratory, Alpha One Enclave

Rose looked out into the distance, seeing the various homes that  
were scattered just a few miles away from the laboratory. But those  
homes were more like lightyears away than just miles. She was trapped  
here, in the shadow of Alpha, for the rest of her life.

She smiled. Well, if she had anything to say about it, the rest  
of her life wouldn't be very long. As soon as they felt she no longer  
served a purpose, she would finally end this torture. Ironic that the  
very place that she was contemplating these things was the same place  
that Kalkia was as well, just yesterday. The end is the beginning, is  
the end, she thought.

The sound of the door to the roof opening brought a smile to her  
face. "Hello, Setsuna," Rose said loudly.

The tall, dark green haired woman paused for a moment before she  
made her way to the other woman's side. "How did you know it was me?"

"I could tell from your steps." Rose looked over the fence, down  
at the ground below. Soon, very soon, she'd shut herself down and let  
herself fall, fall to her death, her release.

Glancing down as well, Setsuna could see the emptiness in Rose's  
eyes. "That's not an answer, you know."

"What isn't, doctor?"

"I think you know," Setsuna's voice was clear and even. Her tone  
implied that she thought this woman to be intelligent and bright; it  
was also slightly disdainful that she would dare to end her life so  
easily.

"You're right, I do know," Rose finally agreed. "But I don't  
agree with you."

"You never really have," Setsuna had walked so she was standing  
next to her. She glanced at Rose briefly but looked straight ahead  
into the murky sunset. "However, I thought that you respected my ideas  
at some point. Has the student grown so much that she feels she has  
nothing left to learn so she must transcend to the next level of  
understanding?"

"We don't believe in God anymore, Setsuna."

"Is that what you really think, or what you've been told to  
think? I thought you were smarter than this, Nakazaki."

Rose shrugged apathetically and continued to look down. "You  
were wrong about me, Setsuna. I've never been smart."

The green haired woman raised an eyebrow and folded her arms  
over her chest. "Then consider this. Will you destroy your friend by  
this senseless act? Dr. Skye is suffering from the lack of your link.  
She will probably go insane if you kill yourself." She had finally  
come out and said what it was that Rose was contemplating. "You are  
not a selfish girl, Nakazaki."

Rose tilted her head. "You're right about that, Setsuna. I'm not  
selfish." She backed away from the fence and looked at the taller  
woman. "If I jumped, Kal would probably have to be the one to clean it  
up. I'll have to figure out a better way to kill myself." Before  
Setsuna could protest, Rose placed a hand on her shoulder. "Guardian  
of Time, I always thought that was a great code name."

The green-haired woman immediately stiffened. After a moment,  
she managed to fake confusion. "Guardian of what? What in the world  
are you talking about, Nakazaki?"

Laughing, Rose shook her head. "Oh Setsuna you don't have to  
pretend around me. I've known since I met you that you worked for the  
Resistance. Let's see," Rose grew pensive. "Your code name is the  
result of the fact that you are a part of Project Alpha. Your mission  
was to delay the project to the best of your ability so you became the  
'guardian' so to speak, of Project Omega's time. So that Omega would  
have a head start." Alarmed, Setsuna tried to pull away but Rose  
tightened her grip painfully, her fingers digging into Setsuna's skin.

"Don't leave yet, Setsuna. It's rude to leave a conversation  
like that." A dark smile danced across her features. "As I was saying.  
You always tried to send messages out to your fellow members, as soon  
as you could get permission to go off base. You tried to covertly  
sabotage us as often as possible." Her eyes grew unfocused. "I wonder  
how many times I let you actually succeed? But, alas, it made no  
difference in the end. Alpha has been created, right on the heels of  
your own Omega."

"Why didn't you report me?" Setsuna was too shocked to deny the  
facts.

Rose turned her eyes back to Setsuna and thought for a moment.  
"Perhaps I wanted you to succeed in stopping us, deep down inside.  
Maybe I prayed that Alpha would never be created. After all, I always  
gave you permission to leave the lab. I loved to see your experiences  
outside. It was almost as if I was there." She paused, then frowned.  
"Kalkia is unstable, Setsuna. She won't reestablish the link. There  
isn't anything I can do to stop her. One day soon, she's going to go  
overboard and there isn't a soul on this earth that can stop her." She  
released the green-haired woman.

"Go Setsuna. You're no longer needed on Project Alpha. Go tell  
Minako that Kalkia is now a threat. If she finally falls into the  
abyss...ask Minako to kill her." Rose looked sad for a moment. "Kill  
her as gently as possible, please."

Setsuna looked at the slight woman in front of her. Rose seemed  
lost in her own web of pain, something not even the brightest light  
could pierce. She worked for the enemy and yet, was a Resistance  
member at heart. "We won't forget this, Rose. We'll find some way to  
save you."

Smiling, Rose shook her head and released Setsuna. "Go now and  
never return. Live your life."

When Rose was certain Setsuna had left, Rose sighed. "No one can  
save me," she whispered. She had too much blood on her hands. How  
could she be saved, a woman who had killed her own soulmate?

It had been right after the horrible incident with Kunzite. When  
Kenshin had found out, he immediately went to confront the man. But  
the Inner Circle members had captured him. After a group beating, they  
were going to make him into one of them. Kenshin was an excellent  
Warrior, especially skilled with a sword. Metallia thought that he  
would be an great addition to her Circle. Tied and bleeding, the four  
generals left him alone in the room.

Rose had felt her soulmate's pain, even though he tried to keep  
her from finding out. She immediately ran to Jedeite and begged him to  
let her see Kenshin. The procedure was scheduled for the next morning  
and Kenshin's old personality would disappear. It would be like he  
died. Eventually, Jedeite relented, figuring that his heart-sister  
should at least have a chance to say goodbye to the man she loved.  
Besides, there was no way the pair could escape. He thought it  
harmless.

When she entered the spartan room, she immediately fell to the  
floor and gingerly cradled Kenshin's head. His eyes were swollen shut  
but he knew it was her. Tears streaming from both their eyes, Rose  
whispered her regrets that this was happening against his broken skin  
as she began to heal him.

"I'll try to get Jedeite to stop this. He'll help me. I'm his  
heart-sister. He'll listen to me," Rose stammered frantically, trying  
to make sense of her upside-down world. Her hands hovered over his  
beautiful red hair, trying to figure out where to touch him without  
causing him pain.

Slowly, Kenshin opened his eyes, revealing his beautiful violet  
eyes, a perfect match for Rose's own. "Beloved, they're going to turn  
me into one of them tomorrow. There isn't anything you can do."

"No, there has to be something. I'll go to Kunzite if I have to.  
I'll promise him anything. But they just can't change you, make you  
into one of them."

He shook his head then groaned from the pain. She immediately  
poured more energy into the healing, her golden glow lighting the  
room. "Love, you know that I don't want to become like them, to go  
back to the way it used to be, when I didn't have you." He placed a  
gentle kiss on her palm and cradled it to his cheek.

"I know, beloved, I know. And I also know what you want me to do  
and I want to tell you now that I can't, I just can't." More tears  
fell from her closed eyes. This wasn't happening. It just couldn't be.

"Rose, my beautiful Rose...you must. I'll die if they make me  
one of the Inner Circle, I know I will. Please Love, death is a better  
fate than that." His eyes searched her face, his face pleading.

She wished she believe in a god, so that she could pray.  
"Kenshin, please..." Seeing his expression, her heart broke. Slowly,  
she nodded and Kenshin smiled, wistfully. Sitting up, his wounds  
mostly healed, he faced her and gently cupped her face. Drawing her  
close, the two shared a gentle, heartfelt kiss.

When they broke apart, Kenshin placed his forehead against  
Rose's, his hands still against her teary cheeks, their eyes closed.  
"I'll always love you, no matter what," he whispered.

Sobbing, Rose placed her hands on top of his and opened that  
forbidden power within her. As it gently pulsed within her, she poured  
it into her soulmate in a rush of energy. Then, slowly, Kenshin's  
soul began to leave him, absorbed into Rose herself. He made no sound  
and there was no pain. As gently as possible, Rose slowly drained  
every bit of life essence from Kenshin until his heart finally stopped  
beating. Biting her lip, she laid his dead body on the ground. He  
seemed so peaceful, a small smile on his face. "Until we next meet, my  
love," Rose whispered before she placed on last kiss on his lips.  
Slowly, she left the room, her heart dead.

With a sigh, Rose shook off her memories. They had thought he  
died because of the injuries from the beating. But she knew the truth,  
that she had taken the life of her own soulmate. Looking out into the  
distance, she gazed once more at the freedom she so sought. Then, she  
spun on her heel and walked back to her room. Not once did she look  
back.

"How long are you going to do this to yourself?"

The room was bright, light filled every crevice of the bedroom.  
She was laying on the bed, her eyes open, her body relaxed.

"How long are you going to refuse to touch me?"

"Are you saying that all I have to do is touch you and you'll be  
better?"

Her lips slowly turned upwards in a small smile. She had placed  
one of her hands on her bare stomach and now she slowly clenched it  
into a fist. "Would you if I said yes?"

He sighed and the weight on the bed shifted as he sat down.  
"Kaya, please. Just reestablish the link with Rose. I know that you'll  
be fine if you do. This...this isn't you."

"Wrong." She turned her head to look up into his face. The harsh  
lights were so bright that the only clear feature she could make out  
were the blue of his eyes. "This isn't the me that you think I am.  
This is who I am, Jonathon. Try to be non-linear for once."

He placed his hand over hers. "You're going to do awful things  
if you don't--"

"I already have done awful things. I'm beginning to delight in  
death and blood and pain." She closed her deep green eyes and tilted  
her head to the other side, away from him. "And that doesn't even  
bother me. I should be afraid of myself and what I am, but I'm not. I  
find it funny."

"Kaya," he sighed and held her small hand between his two larger  
ones. "Talk to Rose. Promise me that tomarrow, you'll talk to her."

Silence.

"Promise me..."

* * *

"Rose?" 

The voice that called into the dim light of the drab room was  
soft and nearly gone before it was spoken. It was only one word, but  
the tremor was there and only one who knew her would recognize it for  
what it was.

Instantly, Rose's hands stilled. The last note from the grand  
piano faded into the air, lost. "I'm in here," she said as she turned  
to face the door.

There was the subdued sound of walking as Kalkia went into the  
back room. She stopped at the doorway and if anyone had been looking  
carefully enough, they would have seen the painful swallow. "I...I was  
just wondering if...if..."

Slowly, Rose made her way to her couch and motioned for Kalkia  
to come closer. Hesitant, Kalkia eventually sat down on the couch,  
gingerly as if afraid to do anything too harshly. "What were you  
wondering, heart-sister?"

Kalkia lightly clasped her hands in her lap, "Well...I...with  
Endymion gone on this mission and we have nothing to do...I was  
thinking that perhaps we could...um..." It was as if she was suddenly  
the unsure nine year old girl that Rose had met all those years ago.  
Kalkia's self-confidence had really come from the fact that Rose  
believed in her. Now that they hardly ever interacted, she was slowly  
becoming unsure again.

Giving Kalkia a small smile, Rose replied, "I don't bite,  
Kalkia. And I'm not mad at you, so don't be worried."

She wrinkled her nose and for a moment she could be described as  
cute. "Perhaps we could have lunch together then," she looked up from  
her hands and over at her one time best friend.

Rose smiled happily. "Of course, Kalkia." She grinned impishly.  
"Let's go have a picnic like we used to, back in school."

Kalkia slowly smiled and took her hand tightly, "In the  
arboretum?" she asked hopefully. The years melted away and for a short  
moment it seemed as if she had never been a slave to the Urge or the  
Darkness. The taint was completely gone for those few brief seconds.  
The years, the trauma, the sadness, all gone. Her innocence was back,  
even if it was only a short span of time before the taint returned.  
But for then she was simply Kalkia, Rose's friend.

Gently, Rose send a small mental probe. 'Friends?' She was  
hesistant, afraid of being rejected, but she had to at least try.

Kalkia set up the uplink in her mind and sent out her own small  
probe. "Friends," she said outloud.

With a grin, Rose began to drag Kalkia towards her kitchen.  
"Come on, I think we can whip up something real quick. I might have  
some of those cookies that you like so much."

"Ouuuu," she grinned, "Chocolate?" Giggling, the pair scampered  
off towards the kitchen, seeming like the two innocent children they  
once were.

Neptune Enclave, Oceana Two

Makoto pulled the codes that Seiya had given her out of her  
pocket. Included was an authorization card that she handed to  
Serenity. "Don't lose that, we might need it in case of an override"  
Omega nodded and held it in her free hand. The other held a small  
pistol which she kept free and pointed around her. She didn't want to  
have to kill a nondescript solider who was just following orders.  
However, that didn't mean that she wouldn't.

The three travelled quickly to the door that led into the  
chambers where the artifact was being kept. It only had the two guards  
and those were easiliy taken out by Rei's crossbow. They didn't have  
time to even moan as the poison went directly to their heart. The only  
person immune to this particular poison was the raven-haired bodyguard  
herself. No one else dared to touch her arrows. Makoto went through  
the security protocals as Serenity and Rei pulled the bodies to a dark  
corner. Silently the three entered the security room and did a quick  
sweep of the interior. Makoto was about to give an order when the  
doors behind them slammed shut.

"I thought that wasn't supposed to happen," Rei hissed, her  
crossbow still in hand. Serenity continued to look around the room,  
all of her improved senses alert and focused.

"It wasn't," Makoto agreed softly and looked at the door. "It  
looks like the authorization card is supposed to help us get out," she  
finally said. "We might need to have Serenity absorb the artifact here  
and have her break through the doors. We have thirty minutes still"  
she turned away from the closed doors, "and three different routes.  
Split up and whoever finds the artifact, take it, contact us and we'll  
meet back here." She looked at Serenity. "If you find it, absorb it  
immediately."

Omega nodded, "Understood."

"Move out."

With the stealth that had been ingrained into her genetics,  
Serenity swiftly moved down the right route, her eyes catching every  
nook and cranny of the modified underwater cave even in the complete  
dark. Her night vision was uncanny. She saw outcroppings and stepped  
carefully over them when most other would have tripped. It made for a  
much easier journey.

Down the central route, Rei's aura flashed, filling her tunnel  
with a faint amount of light. It wouldn't do to alert some guard, but  
the danger was necessary lest she trip and fall unconscious. Besides,  
Seiya had told them that inside was completely guarded by an automatic  
system. She shouldn't encounter any soldiers. She just had to make  
sure she didn't trip any traps.

Makoto too was using her aura to light her way down the leftmost  
tunnel. She was getting a very odd feeling about this mission. There  
was something bothering her. She couldn't quite place the feeling, but  
it was there, nagging at her in the back of her mind.

Unforutnately for the two women, it didn't occur to them to look  
for the auras of their past loves. If they had, they would have  
noticed that after they had travelled five minutes into the cave, the  
door opened once more, letting in three men. Nephlite smiled slightly  
as he looked around. "I must say that they're still impressive," he  
commented. He shouldered the large rifle he was carrying. "Knowing  
Makoto, she had them split up. I suggest we do the same." He looked  
over at Jedeite who nodded nearly inperceptually in the dark.

"Endymion, you should go after Omega. If Kita was right, you  
should be able to find her, no problem. Jed and I will take care of  
the other two," Nephlite continued. "Preferrably we want Omega alive,  
dead is just as good." He looked at Jedeite, "Same for us," he said  
quietly.

"Of course," the blonde nodded and began to go down the tunnel  
that Rei had taken. His arua flared briefly, but he kept it dampened  
to avoid his ex-lover's detection. "Have fun," he called back to  
Nephlite carelessly. However, if his friend had been able to see his  
expression, it might have worried Nephlite. Jedeite was anything but  
careless at the moment.

Nephlite nodded at Endymion and took the far left tunnel, using  
a short cut that would cut Makoto off. If he had his way, she would  
never reach the center of the cavern.

Starting off without any light, as the lady before him, Endymion  
cut quietly through the dark, his mind deep in thought. He knew that  
Rose and Kalkia had reestablished their link. It took a great load off  
his mind. Without having to worry about the doctors, Endymion could  
now concentrate completely on the mission to kill Omega. But could he  
do it? Was it the right thing to do? Rose had her doubts that he  
shared. Alpha was evil and by default, Omega should be good. Unless  
there was a larger good involved, killing someone was wrong.

He forced himself to place these thoughts into the back of his  
mind as he continued to track her. Then a thought suddenly occurred to  
him. He didn't even know her name, or even if she had one. He had a  
name other than Alpha, so it was probably a logical assumption that  
she had a name as well. Perhaps he would ask her before he killed her.  
He caught up to her quickly and stopped a foot behind her. He was  
absolutely still as she swung around and pointed her weapon at him.  
Her blue eyes narrowed and she looked at him almost accusingly.

"You aren't supposed to be here."

"You aren't supposed to be here."

He was sitting atop a boulder that was directly in her path.  
His long chestnut hair was pulled back into a ponytail, similar to  
hers. However, his waves were more evident and his now ice-green eyes  
were looking at her intently. He had one leg pulled to his chest and  
was lounging lazily back on the rock. He had spoken almost jokingly, a  
teasing lilt to his voice. She stopped and stood very still. A moment  
later she brought her automatic pistol up from her side.

"Neither are you," Makoto said calmly. "Move away from your  
weapon, Nephlite."

He tilted his head and slowly picked up the rifle that had been  
resting against the rock. "You mean this?" He stood and brought it up  
to his shoulder. He fired once and her pistol skittered across the  
rocky floor. "Perhaps not." He sighed and bent to retrieve her gun.  
His eyes didn't leave hers so he managed to avoid the kick to his jaw,  
but the movement caused him to stumble backwards. Makoto used her  
momentum to follow through with a hard kick to his torso. He doubled  
over and clutched his stomach with one arm while grabbing at her with  
the other. She was forced to roll away from him and farther away from  
the fallen weapons.

They exchanged a quick series of kicks and punches before Makoto  
rolled towards her pistol. By now she had several gashes from the  
jagged ground and from her ex-lover. She grabbed her weapon and stood,  
pointing it directly at him. In his hands was his rifle, pointed at  
her heart. They both stood there, breathing heavily, their fingers on  
the trigger and ready to pull. Makoto swallowed as she locked eyes  
with him. They had been brown once, the same color of his hair, which  
was now out of the tie.

They stood there, neither saying a word, firmly entrenched in  
the silence around them.

* * *

With a grunt, Rei let loose with another arrow, only to have the  
deadly projectile hit the stone wall, right where Jedeite's head was a  
second ago. She growled with frustration. Rei and Jedeite had not met  
in a quiet, calm manner like the other two pairs. Instead, there were  
no words spoken when Rei suddenly whirled around, after sensing a  
presense, and shot out with a deadly kick. Jedeite immediately then  
blocked and they began to fight. No words were exchanged, only blows. 

Finally, Jedeite was able to get a grasp on Rei's clothing and  
managed to hurl her away from him. Both warriors stood apart, gasping  
for breath.

"How the hell did you find us here?" Rei shot Jedeite a dirty  
look.

With a smirk, Jedeite snapped his fingers, activating the lights  
in the tunnel. "Magic, Pyre."

Rei gave an indelicate snort. "HA! You and that piece of cra  
p known as Alpha probably had some sneaky cowards spy on us. What's  
wrong, Jedeite? Couldn't do the dirty work on your own? Had to get a  
bunch of other people to dirty their hands for you?" She scowled. "You  
even had your own heart-sister kill Minako, you bastard! Why didn't  
you get Rose to kill me?"

He immediately grew angry. "Leave them out of this. You know, I  
should kill you where you stand for what you did to Rosebud. They  
almost died because of you. Ah hell," he spat, "Rose is losing her  
mind because of what you did and Skye turned into a sociopath. So if  
you're looking for someone to blame for the death of Minako, you  
better take a good look at yourself."

He studied her face, preparing in case she attacked him. But  
instead of anger, he saw a flash of pain pass across her eyes. "Are  
they...ok?" Rei paused, her voice trembling. "Rose tried to reassure  
me, but we're hearing some reports, that she's lost her mind. That  
Kalkia is just like you..." She shook her head.

Surprised, Jedeite stared at the woman before him before  
narrowing his eyes. "At least they're still alive, no thanks to you!"

Rei's head jerked up, anger and guilt written in her every  
feature. "Don't try to blame me! What about yourself, General? You  
forced Kalkia to get the Urge, you forced Rose to stay with Alpha, you  
even let Kunzite abuse her!" Her violet eyes were afire. "None of this  
would have happened had you stood up for them, protected them!"

Jedeite clenched his jaw and continued to glare at her, "You can  
only protect one person at a time, Pyre," he bit out. For a moment all  
of his anger and frustration about the entire situation came out in  
his voice. "Besides, Kalkia killed Minako of her own initiative," he  
got the control back into his voice and raised his weapon once more.  
"And if you would just stay out of the way then I wouldn't have to  
kill you."

Rei blinked at him. "Stay out of the way? How can I stay out of  
the way? This is a war, I'm trying to make a new world, a better  
place. I'm not going to stop."

"You're going to get yourself killed!"

"Why on earth are you even considering it. You told me exactly  
what you thought the last time was saw each other!" In a blinding rush  
of speed, she jumped into the air and immediately got her gun trained  
on Jedeite. They both fired at the same time and both erected energy  
shields to block the bullets. The sound of gunfire rattled through the  
tunnel until, frustrated, they both threw down their guns. Swords  
would just have to do when both warriors were adept at energy usage.  
Because of the closer range, as long as the attacker was able to get  
close enough to the body with the blade, an energy shield would be  
useless to stop them.

"I'm sorry that one of us is going to die today, Pyre." And  
Jedeite was truly sorry. He never wanted things to end up this way.

Sensing his sincerity, Rei nodded. "So am I, Jed." In a  
synchronization that only soulmates could achieve, they both raced  
foward, swords raised for the strike.

* * *

"You're not supposed to be here," Serenity accused and glared at  
Endymion. "Go away." 

Endymion blinked and looked at her for a moment, "Go away?  
You're the one that's trespassing in here." Her childish nature  
confused him. Go away, indeed, he thought to himself and shook his  
head. "Omega--" he didn't get to finish because she shot at him. He  
easily dodged the bullet and brought up his own gun and sword.

"I want you to go away because you're bothering me. I can't  
think with my body acting like this," she said simply. "I think you're  
probably having the same problem."

Endymion blinked and then realized what she was looking at. He  
clenched his jaw, "I'm fine," he insisted, "I can still fight you."

Serenity nodded, "Then we should fight." She tilted her head  
slightly, "Although, they did mention that it could be foreplay."

"You're odd," he finally said, "The only people I know that talk  
about foreplay that way are Dr. Skye and her lover. However, I cannot  
allow you to escape here so we must fight."

"Okay," she said and unsheathed the sword she had at her back,  
holding it along with her firearm. In a rush of movement she attacked  
simultaneously with her sword and handgun. She fired at him several  
times, forcing him to the ground. Luckily for him it was a smooth  
sandstone and allowed him to roll without any injuries. He blocked her  
sword and fired at her as well. Serenity broke off and soon all three  
of her clips were empty.

The fight continued for a considerable length of time and soon  
Serenity found that she had no idea how long she had been stuck here.  
The fight itself was fast and impressive, had anyone been watching.  
Their movements were hardly able to be seen, so quickly did they  
occur. Sword met sword in a series of sharp blows, sparks flying from  
the swift contact.

Serenity kicked his legs out from underneath him and kicked his  
sword to the other side of the area they were him. She quickly climbed  
over him and grabbed his wrists. She straddled his waist and used the  
mental exercise she had been taught to keep him pinned to the ground.  
Unfortunately she had lost her sword as well and her closest weapon  
was at his waist. Serenity swore as she looked down into Endymion's  
deep blue eyes.

He smiled slightly, "Seems we're at an impass."

"This sucks," she grumbled. "However, I'm sure I'll think of something."

"What's your name?" he asked her. The question was abrupt and it  
surprised her. Serenity's bright blue eyes looked at him in confusion.

"What?"

"Your name, I don't know it."

She blinked, confused. "Serenity." She eyes him curiously. "Now  
that you know mine, what's yours?" Something about him fascinated her.

He smiled. "Endymion." She was so close to him, he almost felt  
faint. On a sudden impulse, he leaned up and kissed her lips.

The contact was electric. Hot pulses of blood seemed to spread  
amongst her entire body. She suddenly found herself pressing her lips  
closer to his, instead of backing away as her instincts told her.  
Slowly, as the kiss went on, her hands slid from his wrists and toward  
his chest. Gently, she caressed his face and ran her fingers through  
his hair.

Once his hands were free, Endymion brought them to her back and  
lightly placed them there. As he kissed her, he became very aware of  
whatever parts of their body were touching. He was expecting it to be  
like the Urge but it was different. The need, the desire to touch her  
was still there, but it was nearly consuming every part of him. He  
knew he should stop, that he should use this distraction to get free,  
but he found that he didn't want to. How could he when his aura was  
pulsing on the same wavelength as the blonde woman on top of him.

He rolled them over, not breaking the kiss as he did so.  
Serenity paused when she realized what had happened and for a moment  
she thought that he had used the distraction to trick her. However  
when she felt his lips move to the side of her face she became more  
sure in the desire just to touch. A slash from her sword had opened up  
the jacket he had been wearing. Now she touched the skin that was bare  
to the air with tentative fingers. His actions were just as soft and a  
little naive as he brushed over her skin. It wasn't until she felt his  
warm breath on her breasts that she realized that they were both  
losing their clothing at an alarming rate.

She gasped and tried to continue to touch him as his mouth moved  
over her skin. A soft whimper escaped her and he stopped abruptly. His  
blue eyes looked deep into her own and for a moment he seemed  
vulnerable to her. He ran his hand lightly over her cheek and through  
her hair. "Serenity, what...what is happening?"

"Please don't stop," she said just as softly, "Endymion, I just--"

She was cut off by his mouth as he sealed her lips in another  
passionate kiss. He began to touch her more earnestly now and pulled  
her even closer. When they joined, she knew that she had touched  
heaven.

* * *

"Why did you leave, Nephlite?" Makoto's quiet words seemed like  
a shout after the silence that had come between them. Seeing him, so  
close after so long, she had to practically tie herself to her spot to  
keep from throwing herself into his arms. He looked just as she  
remembered him, his soft chestnut hair, his soft, quiet smile that  
could quickly turned to a open-mouthed laugh. But his eyes were no  
longer the beautiful brown she remembered. Instead, they were an icy  
green, softened only because of his expression. 

He paused for a moment. "I was offered a position in Metallia's  
Inner Circle. How could I refuse?"

"Why didn't you say goodbye?" Makoto's emerald eyes wavered a  
bit, the sting of tears not far away. "Couldn't you have said at least  
goodbye to me?"

He scoffed, "I didn't have anyone to say goodbye to. There was  
no one at the school that I felt the need to say goodbye. After all,  
my closest friends were a part of the Inner Circle already and my two  
heart-sisters were not far behind." His gaze didn't meet her eyes.

"Liar," she breathed, her breath short from the blow he had  
given her. She clenched her jaw. "You could never lie to me, Nephlite.  
I know that you have a reason for leaving without saying a word."

He finally sighed and shook his head, "The reason exists," he  
finally said, "But I cannot tell you so do not ask. Be satisfied to  
know that I left because it was the best thing for everyone involved.  
Now raise your weapon and fight me, Makoto."

"Well at least you haven't lost any of your form," Jedeite  
commented as they stood with locked swords. They were both breathing  
heavily and he could hear her heart racing. Neither had been able to  
gain an advantage in their fight.

"Just because you've been comfy at the top doesn't mean that  
I've been lazy," she snapped.

"I was trying to compliment you, Rei."

"Save your breath," she broke away and swung a high arced pass  
at him. The sound clanged off the sides of the cavern as the two  
struggled against each other.

"This is getting pointless," Rei snapped as the next few passes  
were made. "We're getting nowhere."

"I agree, unfortantely we'll have to end this sometime. I do  
have other priorities."

"Like Rose?" The words were out before she knew it. She cursed  
herself for sounding like a jealous bitch. She really needed to give  
up her dream and wish that they would get back together if this was  
what happened to her when she was faced with him. She knew that they  
weren't sleeping together and yet she still was jealous.

Jedeite blinked and then managed to knock her sword away. He  
grabbed the front of her shirt, "Do you really believe that I could be  
with any woman after what I nearly did to you?" he snapped coldly. "I  
may be dark and not the ideal man, Pyre, but I do not kill the women I  
sleep with." He actually spat in her face, the green of his eyes  
flashing in near rage.

"No, you don't," Rei admitted as she twisted out of his grip.  
Her expression changed, sadness dancing in her eyes. "Why do you stay  
under that administration of evil, Jedeite?" Her expression was  
haunted. "When the accident happened, I was immersed in Rose's mind. I  
know the lies that Metallia told you, the pain that you've suffered.  
Why do you stay loyal Jedeite." Her face changed, now earnest. "Why  
don't you leave, Jedeite, and join the Resistance? With you on our  
side and Omega now completed, surely we'll be able to overthrow Alpha  
and take back our freedom." With a silent voice, she prayed to  
whatever god was watching to make him hear her.

For a moment, Jedeite paused, his eyes saddened. "I can't, Pyre.  
Metallia has a hold on the world is too great. The cause of yours is  
futile. Besides, if I were to ever leave Alpha, my genetics have a  
built in failsafe that would kill me as soon as I was found out. And  
the other generals would be able to track me down and find me wherever  
I was." He sighed. "I've made my choice, Pyre. Power over love." His  
eyes flickered back to their normal warm blue color before becoming  
their now customary ice green.

"So be it," Rei said, her voice steeled against the pain that  
wracked her soul. With a nod from both of them, they recommenced their  
battle.

* * *

She never imagined that it would be like this, the shear ecstasy  
of him inside her and around her. She knew that with every stroke and  
push they got closer to the end of it all. He could feel their minds  
start to touch just as intimately as their bodies. In the moment of  
climax, their minds were as one and she cried out in pleasure. 

A burst of light and sound emmanated from them and shook the  
ground.

They were pulled away from each other and seperated. He felt  
lost immediately and tried to hold onto her smaller form. When the  
light and sound stopped, she had vanished.

Makoto had started the upswing of her weapon when there was a  
blinding flash of light, followed by a sonic boom. Her eardrums  
screamed the sound into her mind and the rocky cavern began to drop  
new debris on her. She felt the rush of Power go through her and it  
pulled at parts of her body she thought she had dampened. She could  
see the surprise on Nephlite's face as the light passed through him.  
When the darkness swept over them, she ran.

The rush of sound threw Rei into his arms as she lost her  
footing on the uneven ground. All she could see through the light were  
his eyes. The Power went through her and the next moment she had  
kissed him. When he managed to recover his aura, she was gone.

All three girls ran pell-mell through the corridors as the very  
ground shook from an undescribable force. Nearer the entrance, they  
met up but spoke not a word. The ceiling was coming down in chunks and  
they could see water entering the cracks. If they didn't reach the  
dock soon and enter their hidden vessel, they were going to be crushed  
by the entire weight of Oceana Two.

As soon as they reached the door, which they clearly remembered  
as having been closed behind them, they saw the huge thick metal door  
had practically been pulled off its hinges. It looked like a huge fist  
of power smashed it open.

"Come on," Makoto shouted over the roar of the falling rocks.  
"We have to get out of here fast!" She vaulted over the jagged remains  
of the door like a hurdler. Rei followed and then came Serenity as she  
jerked her shirt back onto her body. Demando had programmed an  
appreciation of decency and running around half naked was starting to  
bother her, even though she was currently running for her life.

Instantly, Serenity made the ship reappear, lifting her mental  
cloak from it. With a twist of the body, each woman slid through the  
hatch, Serenity yanking it close behind her.

"Engines engaged," called Rei as she pressed the controls as  
rapidly as possible.

"Let's get out of here," called Makoto as she slid into the  
other navigator's seat.

Between the three of them, they drove the sea vessal away from  
the partically imploded sea village. In the chaos of emergency  
evacuation of the enclave, they were able to get away without anyone  
in pursuit. Once they were alone in the seas, Serenity cloaked them  
once more. She was still pulling at her clothes, trying to get  
everything fastened. However, there was nothing she could do to save  
her hair.

"Okay, what the hell was that?" Makoto finally asked. "Seiya  
didn't mention there being a self-destruct in those caverns," she  
turned to see Serenity tried to run her fingers through her dirty  
sweaty hair. The young girl was still breathing heavily and her face  
was flushed. "Serenity?"

Rei turned around as well and looked at her, concerned, "Did  
something happen with you and Alpha?"

"His name is Endymion," she said softly and looked at her hands  
intently. "He has a name." She didn't snap or even say it harshly, but  
there was a huge emotional force behind her words. She swallowed  
audibly and painfully. Serenity closed her eyes and touched her lips  
which were obviously swollen from her earlier activities.

Makoto eyed Serenity's flushed face and messy clothes. "What  
happened, Serenity? Did you destroy him? Was that what we felt, the  
power you used to kill him?"

Blushing, Serenity looked down. "Um...no? Not exactly."

"What do you mean, not exactly," asked Rei as she punched in the  
directions for the nearest Resistance cell. The ship on auto-pilot,  
she swiveled in her chair to join the conversation. "How can you not  
exactly kill him? Were you unable to sense a pulse or something?"

Serenity pushed her index fingers together repeatedly. She had  
failed in her mission and almost got killed. They were not going to be  
very happy with her. "Um, we kind of got distracted...you know that  
stuff you were explaining to me?" They looked confused. "You know,  
about sex, the pull of soulmates, that stuff?" They nodded as  
realization dawned. "Well, um..."

Rei groaned. "You mean, that brilliant flash of light was  
because you two got a happy?" She began to beat her head against a  
bulkhead. "Dear lord...we have hormonal teenagers with the most  
powerful bodies in the world. We're doomed."

Makoto began to chuckle softly and turned back to the ship's  
console. "Was it good?" she finally asked after her laughter had  
subsided.

Serenity flushed slightly, "There was a sonic boom and lots of  
light, what do you think it was, Makoto?" she asked dryly.

"I think I'm jealous," the brunette muttered, "I never got  
light. Some sound, yes, but never light."

Finally, Rei laughed. "Demando and Minako are going to love to  
hear this."

"Do we have to tell them?" Serenity asked softly. "I mean they  
don't need to know."

Rei and Makoto exchanged a look, "Actually we do," Rei said  
gently. "Serenity, when you make love to someone you leave an imprint  
of your aura on them and vice versa. Alpha will be able to find you  
easier now, and theoretically you should be able to find him easier as  
well. Second, sex is more than a joining and good time, its a mixture  
of minds and even magic. I know you want this to be private, but we do  
need to tell at least Demando and Minako."

Serenity sighed softly and nodded. "I didn't get the artifact."

Makoto and Rei shared a look. "You didn't?" Serenity shook her  
head.

Makoto let out a moan of despair. "Oh tell me this isn't  
happening. Without all of the artifacts, we can't initiate Omega. Then  
all of this work will be for nothing."

Rei punched the bulkhead. "Damn it, this can't be happening. How  
the hell did they keep it from you? Did you see it at all? Do we have  
to go back and get it from Alpha?" She clung to hope, because if they  
failed, everything she lived for was over.

"He had already absorbed it by the time we got there." Serenity  
frowned. "His power level was greatly increased since the showing of  
the first artifact." Her brow furrowed. "It's strange though...after  
the," she blushed, "light show, I felt a power boost myself."

Frowning at this new information, Makoto looked back at the  
controls. "We'll have to consult the brain squad on this. So we'll  
have to wait until we rejoin the rest of the Resistance."

Rei scowled. "You can sense the other artifacts though, right"  
Serenity nodded. "Good. Then make sure the damn things are still  
around before letting us accompany you on a useless mission." She  
turned back to her console, fuming. Seeing Jedeite again had messed  
her up emotionally. That, coupled with the fact that the mission might  
prove to be a failure as well as the chance that Omega might not even  
occur...well, she wasn't a very happy person to be around at the  
moment.

Sensing this, Serenity sat in her chair and the three women  
remained quiet for the rest of the trip back.

* * *

"Endymion insisted on telling us all at once why the enclave  
collasped," Nephlite grumbled after the group assembled. They were  
sitting around a conference room table, and the group consisted of the  
four generals and two doctors. The Enforcer was getting her kicks  
elsewhere. 

Kalkia raised an eyebrow as she looked at Endymion. The young  
man had been staring at the table top ever since the beginning of the  
debriefing. Rose was watching him curiously; for once he had managed  
to block her out as well. "Well?" Zoicite asked expectantly.

"I ran into Serenity," he finally said.

"Who?" Kunzite lifted an eyebrow as he leaned back in his chair.

"Omega," Endymion corrected himself.

"Oh," Rose gasped. His little error made his shield over the  
link buckle a bit and she now knew everything. Face red, she hid her  
eyes. This was not something she wanted to know and she apologized  
profusely to Endymion over the link.

Endymion shrugged. It wasn't as if he wasn't going to share  
eventually, but it was somewhat disconcerting to share his first  
sexual experience with one of the doctors who created him.

Eyeing the two warily, Kunzite refocused the attention. "What  
happened with...Serenity?" The name was odd. "Did you destroy her? And  
what the hell force did you unleash that could destroy an entire  
enclave?"

Frowning, Endymion looked at the silver-haired general. "No, I  
was unable to destroy her."

Zoicite frowned. "Then why the blast?"

Rose spoke up. "The blast was his attempt at using the power of  
the crystal for the first time. He was untrained in this field. I have  
been unable to train him for this since it is something no one else is  
able to experience other than he and Omega. Unfortunately, the wild  
nature of the shot was unable to destroy her." Endymion shot her a  
grateful look, not exactly eager to share that special moment with the  
four unfeeling generals of Alpha.

"How would you know this?" Jedeite eyed his heart-sister warily,  
uncertain that she was telling the truth.

"They shared it, Jedeite," Kalkia replied simply. "Their link  
isn't on trial here, we should continue finding out what happened on  
the mission. Like, for example, why we don't have the dead bodies of  
Makoto and Rei with us?" She raised an eyebrow, "Care to explain."

"I told you, Kita, Makoto got away in the blast," Nephlite said  
quietly. He was still looking at Endymion intently. He could have  
sworn that he had seen him blush at the mention of the blast.

"I'm sure that you could have stopped her. Why didn't you have  
Jedeite go after her?" Kalkia pressed, "He would have had better luck  
fighting her. Instead he ended up melding auras with Rei." The blonde  
general glared at her. "You should hide that better," she commented.  
"Even a four year old can see it."

"Shut up Dr. Skye."

Kalkia just shrugged and looked over at Rose. 'Did I think what  
happened, really happen?'

'Yeah, it did, or more accurately, they did.' Rose gently poked  
Endymion with a mental rebuke. 'Hide the feelings for now, or else,  
they'll find out. I've helped you to start weaving the lies, but you  
need to finish it.' She closed the link. There was something she had  
sensed, something that was bothering her greatly. But she didn't share  
with either Kalkia and Endymion, who shared a look of confusion before  
returning back to the debriefing.

Zoicite shook his head. "So, we have no dead bodies to give to  
Metallia. But at least, the Resistance wasn't able to get the artifact  
this time. So we should be ok." They all frowned, hoping that they  
wouldn't have to be put through another round of punishment.

Sighing, Kunzite looked wearily at Zoicite. "We might not be  
punished, but the truth still remains, that this mission was not  
exactly a shining success. Now that they know we had Endymion absorb  
the artifact first, they'll be on their guards. We can't use such a  
ruse again. So that advantage is lost." He turned to Jedeite and  
Nephlite. "Unfortunately, Rei and Makoto are still alive, which means  
we have not dealt they blow to the Resistance as we had hoped. The  
only thing that is good about this mission is the fact that Alpha has  
absorbed one artifact. That fact alone should keep Omega from  
occurring and should force the rebels to come to us, if they want to  
succeed."

Kalkia sighed and pushed away from the table. "All of you are  
idiots for assuming that you can face the women who made the sky and  
the earth move for you," she said coolly. "Hopefully you'll use the  
right head next time."

Endymion raised an eyebrow. Her outburst was certainly  
unexpected by the four generals. "Are we finished here?" he finally  
asked. "Besides the fact that someone has to report all of this to  
Metallia?"

"Better make them a damn good liar," Kalkia muttered and began  
to walk out. "Endymion, when you're through here, come to my office. I  
need to make sure that there isn't anything else wrong with your  
body."

Jedeite raised an eyebrow as she left. "She's actually pissed"  
he finally commented.

Nephlite looked confused as well, "The last time I spoke to her,  
she was unemotional."

Rose just shrugged and smiled sweetly. Kunzite rolled his eyes.  
"Whatever. Nephlite, you report to Metallia. You're a lot better at  
glossing things over than anyone here." He stood, indicating that the  
meeting was over.

Nephlite continued to contemplate Rose. "Did you two patch  
things up? Is that why she's back to her normal, cranky self?" It  
would also explain why Rose was wearing her brighter colors again,  
instead of black.

With a giggle and a nod, Rose answered the general. Endymion  
stood next to her, offering his arm, as was his custom. He wanted to  
get away from the generals to a place where he could discuss things  
with the two doctors privately. Before taking his arm, Rose paused,  
then pecked the still-worried Nephlite on the cheek. "For luck," she  
said seriously before departing.

Nephlite stood, gaping at the closed door. Zoicite shook his  
head in bewilderment while Kunzite stood there, expressionless.  
Looking from the door to Nephlite and back again, Jedeite spoke.

"Those two doctors just keep getting weirder and weirder"


	11. Chapter Ten

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon is the property of Takeuchi Naoko and various  
other entities. Plot and original characters of Kalkia and Rose are  
the property of The Rose Society and Kayla Chavi. Quote taken from  
Buffy the Vampire Slayer and is property of Whedon, etc.

Alpha's Omega  
Chapter Ten - DRAFT  
By: Kayla Chavi and The Rose Society  
Rating: R

* * *

"So," Kalkia swiveled her chair around when Endymion and Rose  
entered her lab. "Was it good?" 

Endymion turned a bright red which just made the doctor burst  
into laughter. She was laughing so hard that she nearly fell out of  
the chair. Rose tried to be annoyed with her friend but the laughter  
was infectious. Once Kalkia could breathe, she tried to get a serious  
expression back on her face.

"I'll take that as a yes." The auburn-haired woman broke into  
laughter again when his blush deepened.

"Take it easy on him, Kal," Rose said as she sat on the couch.  
Patting the seat next to her, she motioned for Endymion to sit down.  
When he did, she said, "After all, it's not an insignificant event to  
lose your virginity." As soon as the last word left her mouth, his  
face reblossomed to its tomato color, much to the two ladies' delight.

Grinning, Kalkia grabbed a medical scanner. "Well teasing aside,  
I do have to run some tests on you." Opening the device, she began to  
make sure that Endymion was physically well.

Rose frowned. "Kal, can you do me a favor?" The other doctor  
looked up in surprise. "Run a diagnostic on his power level. I want to  
confirm a suspicion of mine."

Kalkia raised an eyebrow but nodded. The scan took a few minutes  
to complete so the doctor continued to tease her creation. "Did I make  
you right?" she finally asked, "Was it perfect? Explosions of power  
don't count."

"Kalkia," Endymion muttered and looked down at his hands. "I'm  
not asking you for intimate details of your first time."

"In the arboretum with Sephiroth when I was fifteen," she said  
simply. "Everyone knew because we caused a three second power outage.  
Nephlite teased me about it for weeks." She looked at him expectantly.

He sighed heavily, "Fine, in a cave with Serenity when I was six  
months old," he stuck his tongue out at her childishly, "We made the  
cave collapse. If you tease me about it for weeks I'll find something  
drastic and do it."

Kalkia chuckled and shook her head. "Here are the results," she  
tossed the scanner to Rose after frowning faintly at the pad.

Regarding the results, Rose nodded, slowly. "I was right then."

"About what?" Kalkia frowned. "His power readings are odd, but  
I can't figure out why."

"Endy and...Serenity's," she shot a look to Endymion to make  
sure she got the name right and continued at his nod, "err.  
interaction caused a melding of souls, as all soulmates do when they,  
um, yeah." She frowned behind her blush, trying to sort the new  
knowledge out. "With their power levels, a bond was created that  
caused them to share the artifacts that both sides acquired. If I'm  
not mistaken, then that power release was a sideeffect of the power of  
the bond between you two and the huge power transfer that occurred."

Kalkia frowned, catching on to Rose's thoughts. "Then that means  
that basically, both Endymion and Serenity have been boosted the same  
amount." Rose nodded. "Damn it, the Illusive Sunset was one of the  
more powerful artifacts. I had hoped that Endy would have the  
advantage next time."

Biting her lip, Rose looked at Endymion. "Unfortunately no.  
Every time they join, there will be the same effect. They'll share the  
artifacts that they each absorbed."

"So basically, no more sex for you, Endy," Kalkia frowned and it  
almost seemed that she was slightly dissapointed, "You bad boy, you."

Endymion rolled his eyes and then sighed. For a moment he too  
looked dissapointed. Rose raised an eyebrow and looked between the two  
of them, surpressing a laugh. "You two look like someone spoiled your  
milk."

Kalkia blinked, "Oh. I thought I had made him perfectly. I  
really didn't think about this being a possible side effect. I also  
think that the no sex idea sucks."

"But it's only sex with Serenity," Rose commented. "Any other  
sex should be fine." Did those words really just come out of her  
mouth? She was spending too much time with Kalkia.

"Do you seriously think that he's going to want any other woman  
besides Ome--Serenity." Kalkia corrected herself when she saw that  
Endymion was going to point that out to her. "I would be upset too if  
I was told that sex was now a major no no."

"I really don't think that it's going to be an issue ever  
again," Endymion mumbled.

"Why not? She feels the pull just as strongly as you do," Rose  
replied.

"She is colder than I am, emotionally. Her focus is on the  
mission, almost to the level of complete blindness to other things"  
Endymion shook his head. "She'll avoid me from now on."

"Hmph. I'd like to see her try to resist your charms," Kalkia  
replied, a bit disgruntled at the idea that a man she designed to be  
the desire of women everywhere could be resisted.

"But it is a good thing if she does, Kalkia, so we can avoid  
having those two blow up themselves, if not the world." Rose looked at  
Endymion, then Kalkia. "I can't believe I'm having this conversation  
about the sex life of a person I helped create and whom I consider one  
of my closest friends." She held her head. "I think I have a  
headache."

"You always say that when we talk about sex," Kalkia pointed out  
and sighed dismally. "I still need to know details," she finally said  
to Endymion, "That way we can make sure that you can avoid destroying  
the world."

Endymion began to feel his face heat up once more. "Like it  
normally does," he protested, "You're the expert on this kind of  
thing. Use your imagination!"

Kalkia just gave him a firm look and he groaned. He gave Rose a  
pathetic pleading look but the doctor shook her head. "Kalkia demanded e  
very single detail about my first time," she said simply. "I'm going  
to let you share the humiliation."

"It wasn't that bad and you wanted to tell me," Kalkia  
protested. "I told you about mine, it's only fair!"

"Kalkia, the entire school knew about yours. And I didn't want  
to tell you! You cornered me and practically pried it out of me!"

"Rose, I'm going to start pouting," Kalkia threatened. Endymion  
tried to sneak out the door but was caught by his ear and forced to  
sit down. "Now," she said as she sat down in the opposite chair.  
"You're going to tell me everything and we're going to figure out  
where I went wrong."

Endymion gave one last pleading look to Rose. The raven-haired  
doctor shook her head. "You're on your own, Endy. I'm going to keep  
out of this one. My love life doesn't merit examination." She waved  
Endymion towards Kalkia, ignoring his pleas. She hated to be reminded  
of her few precious memories of Kenshin. And what physical experiences  
she had after her soulmate were not what she would call pleasant  
enough to share. Shaking her head, she laid down on the couch, the  
familiar ache strumming in her heart. Best not to think of it right  
now.

Kalkia smiled and rubbed her hands together in glee as she  
made Endymion give her a detailed report. Every so often, when she was  
getting a little too probing in her questioning, Rose interrupted,  
saying that it was unnecessary. Kalkia would pout, frown a bit at her  
friend, then continue, a little more reservedly. The cycle continued  
until Kalkia at last was satisfied with Endymion's report.

"Well, I've figured it out. It's not a side-effect at all.  
Well, I suppose for those caught in the blast, it's not exactly a  
benefit in their point of view, but it's not going to hurt us, at  
least. All soulmates do this, to an extent. But because these two  
are so powerful, they have a little more...punch to these occurrences.  
My first time was a power outage, Rose--" Rose cleared her throat,  
loudly, "oh fine, spoil my fun. As I was saying, mine was an outage  
and well, these two caused the cave to collapse. It's a question of  
intensity, not a question if I did something wrong or not."

"You sound rather pleased," Endymion muttered. His flush was  
slow to go away and he didn't particularily want to talk about this  
anyway.

"Of course I'm pleased," Kalkia grinned and went to a computer  
consol. "I hate screwing up," she paused as if considering whether to  
say her next words. She said them anyway. "Unless its Jon of course."

"Kal, you're horrible," Rose commented from her place on the couch.

The doctor winked at her friend, "But you love me anyway."

"I don't," Endymion muttered rebelliously causing Kalkia to  
chuckle. "What about your first time with Jonathon?" he asked, hoping  
to make her blush for once. He was surprised when she actually did.

Rose suddenly grinned and sat up. "I remember this one," she  
said and Kalkia waved her hand, shooing away both of them.

"Let's not talk about that," she said quickly. "It's nothing  
important anyway." Her cheeks were still faintly pink and Endymion  
knew he had hit a nerve. He looked over at Rose who had an  
uncharacteristic look of sardonic glee on her face.

"I can tell you all about it," she taunted, winking at  
Endymion. "It was the first day they met, you know."

"Shut up, Rose," Kalkia said calmly.

"She was pissed at him for thinking he was all that when it  
came to physical events," Rose continued calmly.

"Rose," Kalkia warned.

"They got into a physical match in the practice room. Then in  
front of everyone, he kissed her." Rose stopped and Endymion looked  
between the two of them, hoping that Rose would continue. "The power  
went out for a minute. When it came back on, they weren't there  
anymore. It went off again about fifteen minutes later."

Kalkia clenched her jaw, "That wasn't us," she insisted. "That  
was Kunzite and Minako. I told you, nothing happened. Jon and I don't  
cause power outages." She was blushing faintly still.

Shrugging, Rose gave Endymion another wink. "Fine, whatever  
you say, Kal. But I'm telling you, when I went to her room later on,  
there wasn't a piece of furniture that hadn't been overturned," she  
finished with a flourish.

Kalkia moaned and hid her flaming cheeks behind her hands.

"Now, now, doctor, embarassed? You know everything about my  
first time with my soulmate, aren't I entitled to know everything  
about yours?" Endymion's eyes twinkled with amusement.

"That's not all, I can tell you so many amusing stories about  
Kal and Jonathon. That is, of course," Rose paused, "if you're  
interested."

"No, Rose, you wouldn't dare!" Kalkia was horrified and  
embarassed, not at all a comfortable state to be in.

With a positively evil grin, Rose taunted, "Try me..." And so  
began the most excruciating examination of Kalkia's sexual history in  
her entire life.

Omega Headquarters, Alpha One Enclave

"I don't understand this at all." Ami re-examined the results  
of the tests and frowned some more. "It just doesn't make sense."

"I agree," said Demando, a furrow between his brows. "Serenity  
didn't absorb the second artifact, yet there is a clear increase in  
her power level from the scan we did immediately after the first  
mission."

Rei exchange a look with a nervous Serenity. They hadn't  
exactly told their comrades what had happened to her. The young woman  
looked down at her hands intently. It was Demando, not Ami, who  
noticed the faint blush on her face.

"Serenity?" he set the data pad down and went over to her.  
"Are you feeling all right? You look a little warm."

The blonde nodded, "I'm fine," she insisted and cleared her  
throat. "Is it possible that if I ran into End--Alpha and we touched,  
that power could be transfered?"

"It would have to be a rather intimate touch," Ami said  
thoughtfully, "Only soulmates are able to transfer power like that"  
She blinked as she realized what she just said. "Demando, you don't  
think that Kalkia and Rose were able to actually create a soulmate?"

Demando regarded the question thoughtfully for a few moments.  
"I don't know. I really hadn't thought about it." He went back in his  
memories of the two women, wondering what were they actually possible  
of. "I suppose it could be done, considering their mental capabilities  
and--"

"Oh, it's more than possible, it's a fact," said a new voice.

All the occupants of the room turned around quickly, surprised  
at the almost silent entrance of the newcomer.

"Setsuna! We weren't expecting you so soon!" Demando quickly  
walked over to the quiet woman and led her towards Serenity. "Come,  
come, you really should get a look at Serenity, otherwise known as  
Project Omega!" He beemed like a proud father, eager to hear the  
opinion of a fellow scientist, someone who would be able to fully  
appreciate the amazing nature of his labors.

Rei interrupted the conversation, "What did you mean back  
there, Setsuna? And why aren't you at Alpha's Laboratory? You weren't  
scheduled for a information drop, as far as I know." She regarded the  
taller woman with suspicion.

"Rose let me off the project." Setsuna sat down, not meeting  
anyone's gaze. "She knows everything, has known it from the start."

Alarmed, Haruka looked around, as if suspecting the walls to  
come down and Alpha soldiers to come running in at that very moment.  
"You told her? You led them to us?" She looked ready to destroy  
something, maybe even Setsuna herself.

Raising a hand, Setsuna restrained the bristling blonde and  
tried to calm everyone in the room. "No, no, you don't understand.  
Alpha doesn't know about us. Relax, we aren't about to be attacked"  
When all her tense comrades returned to their previous positions, she  
sighed and tried to explain as best as she could.

"They are hiding more than it seems. Rose has known about all  
of our activities, can read anyone's mind. But she hasn't said a word  
to anyone. I don't know if Kalkia knows as well, but Rose has been  
helping us since the beginning." Setsuna looked around, making eye  
contact with everyone, to make sure they understood that what she was  
about to say was very important. "They're dying, both of them. It's  
been going downhill since Alpha was finished. Both of them are waiting  
to kill themselves."

"Good," spoke up Michiru. All heads turned to her. "If both of  
them destroy themselves, Project Alpha will lose two of its most  
important people. That would give us an edge, since Alpha's  
development won't be able to continue, and Serenity's will."

Raising an eyebrow, Setsuna looked at the aqua-haired woman.  
"They have been helping us for some time now, Michiru. They aren't a  
part of Alpha, not willingly. We should help them, not let them die."

Michiru let out a derisive laugh. "Setsuna, we are the  
underground resistance workers here, not Good Samaritans. We can't  
risk ourselves for two Alpha doctors. Besides, their loss would only  
help us, not hinder us. I think, strategically, letting them kill  
themselves gives us a better outcome."

Setsuna sighed softly. "We are becoming closer to them, day by  
day," she murmured. Haruka shot her an angry look.

"How can you compare us to them?" she demanded. "We are  
nothing like Alpha. We're trying to save the world from injustice"

"Yes, we are," Ami whispered softly. "I think what Setsuna is saying, is  
that we are close to losing our humanity. We fight for the  
right cause, yet we are willing to lower ourselves to their tatics.  
What good will it do, to destroy a government only to put an equally  
corrupt one in its place?"

"Kalkia won't kill herself," Haruka grumbled. She felt too  
uncomfortable to reflect on Ami's statement so she decided to focus  
on something else, anything else. "Unfortuantely she is too big a  
coward to do that. She likes her own pleasure too much." Michiru took  
her lover's hand and squeezed it. She felt the same way, but did not  
verbalize it.

"Shut up, Haruka. You know nothing of her situation," Minako  
snapped.

"You seem to think I care," Haruka responded angrily.

"Please!" Serenity exclaimed and got betwen the two women  
before they could go to blows. "Please, we shouldn't be fighting over  
this!"

"'When you and your enemy are both willing to stop at no  
lengths to win, that is when all is lost,'" quoted a soft voice.

"Death!" Minako greeted the young girl with short, chin-length  
black hair and expressive purple eyes, a shade bluer than Rei's own.

Tomoe Hotaru, the youngest member of Omega cell at fifteen  
years old, sat in a chair and gave those in the room a nod of  
greeting.

"Why the hell the cryptic greeting," Haruka asked, still  
irritated.

Solemn, Hotaru gazed at both Michiru and Haruka with her  
piercing eyes. "It was something Rose once said during one of the  
Project Alpha experiments. I was working on some calibrations when she  
said that. It was right after the Alpha Thirteen massacre, where the  
Resistance members were sacrificed when they were found out."

"So? Big deal, so the doctor likes to spout poetry. I don't  
see the point." Crossing her arms, she frowned, frustrated that they  
were even discussing saving Alpha pigs.

In her same soft voice, Hotaru looked straight at Michiru.  
"What makes us the good guys is what makes us different from Alpha. We  
should be the ones with compassion, even at the expense of the  
ultimate goal of freedom. Never lose your humanity for the mission,  
Michiru. Our mission IS our humanity, never forget that."

Michiru looked away, but Haruka gave the younger girl an  
intense look. "Sometimes I wonder what goes through your head," she  
finally muttered and sat down. Serenity looked relieved that they were  
no longer fighting.

"Will Rose commit suicide?" Rei finally asked. It sounded like  
she might care, but it was lost.

Both Setsuna and Hotaru shook their head. "Rose isn't a  
coward. She doesn't fear death, but she doesn't welcome it either"  
Hotaru said. "Before Omega occurs it will be their legacy that guides  
Alpha. If it were any other doctor, then it would be possible that we  
could lose completely. Rose is a good woman and she is teaching that  
to Alpha."

"While Kalkia teaches Alpha about sex, no doubt," Haruka said idly.

Setsuna shot Haruka a look. "Both doctors and all four  
generals were left to the tender mercies of the Enforcer after the  
Crimson Flame was lost to us. It took both of them, I heard, to save  
the generals."

That fact startled the group, all except Rei. Her violet eyes  
seemed haunted when she spoke up. "It was both of them, and it almost  
didn't work."

"Kalkia was the one who saved Minako, instead of killing her.  
Rose was the one who got us out, instead of letting General Nephlite  
find us," added Luna. "Why can't you guys get this? They aren't evil.  
Can you really just stand by, and not feel a thing?" Her eyes pleaded,  
hoping that all was not lost with some of her long-time friends.

Scowling, Haruka looked away while Michiru looked at Luna  
blankly. Honestly, Michiru would feel no regrets. But Haruka was a bit  
different from her partner. There was something, a tiny part of her,  
that asked if this was right.

Minako cleared her throat. "We'll see what happens. Since both  
Hotaru and Setsuna know the doctors more than we do and they both  
think that the chance that the doctors will kill themselves is minimal,  
then they'll both be safe while they still serve a purpose on Project  
Alpha to Metallia. If and when the time comes that they'll really be  
in danger, we'll discuss possible solutions then. Dismissed."

When all the others left, only Hotaru, Setsuna and Minako  
remained. Sighing, Minako walked over to the window that allowed those  
in the meeting room to look over the rest of the cell. Hands behind  
her back, she watched as most of her friends departed in groups. Ami,  
Demando, Taiki and Ryo all headed back to the lab, talking quietly.  
Rei, Makoto and Serenity all headed towards the private quarters area,  
probably going to grab a meal together before retiring to their  
separate rooms. What was unusual was that Michiru seemed to head  
toward the quarters she shared with Haruka before she realized that  
Haruka wasn't heading the same way. Michiru must have asked Haruka  
where she was headed and Minako could see that Haruka replied, not  
even glancing at Michiru. Shrugging, Michiru went off and Minako  
watched as Haruka walked slowly, head bent, as if she was in thought,  
headed towards the recreation room.

"I worry about those two," Setsuna interjected. "Their focus  
on the mission, regardless of the consequences, is frightening."

"So do I," said Minako softly as she continued to look out  
the window.

Minako's Quarters, later that night

"Have you talked about it yet?"

"About what?"

"What happened between you and Kalkia."

Minako just shrugged, briefly looking at the blue-haired woman  
beside her. "It's over and done with. I don't need a shrink. It's  
better this way."

"Better for who?" Ami sounded rather skeptical.

Making a noise of disgust, Minako glared at her long-time  
friend. "Don't try all that psychobabble on me, Ami. I said I'm fine."

Minako's anger gave Ami pause. "I don't know, Minako. I've  
known you for a long time. If it were me, seeing my soulmate after  
such a long time after parting on less than pleasant terms, almost  
being killed by a girl that was once our schoolmate, and then dealing  
with all these revelations..."

With a cynical smile, Minako went back to looking over the  
data pads. "That's quite a list of events there, Ami. Don't you think  
that you're overdoing it a bit?"

"Don't you think you're down playing it just a bit?" she  
countered and easily removed the data pads from her hands. "Rei's  
still in shock about what happened. She's not dealing with her guilt  
very well. Mako refuses to talk to anyone and you..." she sighed  
softly. "We need our leader on the sane side of crazy."

Minako raised an eyebrow. "And what about you?" she asked  
sweetly but the edge was still there. "How are you doing with reliving  
the most intimate memories between you and Zoicite?"

Wincing, Ami shot Minako a hurt look. "That was a cheap blow,  
Minako. But if you want to know, I'm dealing with it as best as I can.  
Day by day, I deal with it. But that's the difference between us. I'm  
at least acknowledging that I have a problem. You aren't." Shaking  
her head, Ami placed a hand on Minako's shoulder. "I know that you're  
hurting, Minako. You've always been the strongest of all of us. That's  
why you make a wonderful leader. But you can't keep your feelings  
bottled up. Lying to yourself isn't going to help either. Unless you  
confront your feelings, they're going to keep on eating at you until  
you go insane. We're at a critical phase of the mission and we need  
everyone we have to be at the top of their game. So get with it,  
Minako, for your own sake and for the sake of the cause. Because, if  
you don't, and you're still this unsettled by the time of the next  
mission, I'll get the other doctors to back me up and relieve you of  
command."

Minako narrowed her eyes. "I'm not incompetant, Ami." She  
stood up and shrugged Ami's hand off of her shoulder. "And what  
problems do I have, really? Kunzite thinks I'm dead so if he ever sees  
me again, it's going to throw him off, not me."

"And if his reaction isn't what you expect?"

"I'm prepared for anything. I have to be. So get the idea of  
relieving me out of your head. Now, I have to go work with Omega. She  
still needs more training." Minako went to the door and paused.  
"Kalkia kept me alive to hurt him. Kunzite still pisses her off. I'm  
willing to go along with it for now."

"And what if she didn't? What if she really didn't want to  
kill you out of some sense of loyalty? What if Kunzite doesn't care if  
you're dead or not? Are you prepared for the consequences of those  
revelations?"

Silence bridged the gulf between the two friends for a long  
moment in time. "I'm not going to answer them because they simply  
aren't true. At least, most of them. Kalkia wouldn't care if I died.  
I know that she kept me alive to hurt Kunzite because she said so  
herself. And Kunzite...I don't care if he cares about me or not. We're  
over with, him and I. It's been dead since the day he pledge his  
service to Alpha."

Ami leaned back against the wall and shook her head. "Lying to  
yourself never helps the situation, Minako," she pointed out gently.  
"Alpha had to spend a great deal of energy in order to make him  
change. If what we found in those high clearance files for them is  
true, Kunzite had to go complete mind modification in order to be  
useful to Metallia. It's not over between you. It never will be." The  
doctor's voice never rose above a sad, yet very clear whisper. Ami  
paused, her mind searching for a quote she had heard long ago.  
"'You'll be in love till it kills you both. You'll fight, and you'll  
shag, and you'll hate each other till it makes you quiver, but you'll  
never be 'over'. Love isn't brains, children, it's blood...blood  
screaming inside you to work its will. I may be love's bitch, but at  
least I'm man enough to admit it.'"

Minako raised an eyebrow and shot the blue-haired woman a  
cool look. "I'm not love's bitch, Ami. I never have been. You may be  
content with your life decided for you, but I never have been and I  
never will me. I choose who to love, when to love, and how to love.  
All I care about now is having an advantage against Alpha." She looked  
back out the window, her face slowly closing off all of her feelings.

Ami opened her mouth to protest, but Minako raised her hand,  
her gaze fixated on the scenery outside the window. "Don't say any  
more, Ami, or else I won't be held responsible for anything I might  
say." Stony-faced, Minako didn't even blink when Ami shot her a hurt  
look, the doctor's expression clearly visible in the glass of the  
window.

Shaking her head, Ami turned and silently left Minako's room.

The Omega Cell captain looked at her own reflection and gave  
a little sigh. With trembling fingers she touched the glass before  
slowly curling her hand into a fist. A moment later she shoved her  
hand forcefully through the window, shattering it and taking a morbid  
pleasure out of the wet sound of flesh and glass mingling.

Only when he was dead, would she ever be free.

Serenity's Quarters

Serenity lay on her sleeping pallet, her arms crossed over her  
flat stomach, her fingers tented. She could sense the turmoil  
surrounding her, throughout the building. There were unsettled  
emotions swirling around, tearing through every psyche of most of the  
enclave inhabitants. Usually, that wouldn't be unusual, a small amount  
of tension. After all, life as an outlaw, rebels hunted by a very  
powerful and dangerous group would instill a bit of fear and unease in  
the rebels themselves. But the pain and anguish roaring throughout the  
headquarters was at an all time high. The psychic noise was deafening  
to Serenity and that was part of the cause of her conscious state.

But it was only a small part. A large part of her mind was  
still trying to piece together what happened during the last mission.  
That man, the one whose face haunted her every waking moment, he  
would not leave her. The feelings he awakened in her, the warmth his  
touch had shot throughout her body. She closed her eyes as she  
willingly relived the memory in her mind. She couldn't forget every  
single detail of their love making, nor did she really want to. She  
remembered every touch of his hands, every kiss, and especially the  
explosion that had occured afterwords. It surprised her to find that  
she wanted him again.

With an annoyed snort, Serenity sat up and tried to shake the  
memory from her mind. All it was, all it could be, was lust. She  
didn't even know him well enough to like him.

"I hate him," she said aloud. The words were hallow and died  
in the small confines of her room. "I hate Endymion," she tried again.  
The result was the same. It just sounded--it felt wrong. With a groan,  
she flopped back onto the bed in the most unlady-like way. "I really  
do hate him," she muttered childishly.

Balling her fists, Serenity tried to keep her mind on the  
main objective. Omega. It was her duty to bring about Omega and  
destroy Alpha. Paltry emotions were secondary to the mission. The man  
named Endymion was secondary to Omega. "He doesn't matter," she  
whispered. The words could be said...it was too bad that they didn't  
ring true. At least, not yet.

Another rush of angry energy ran through the air, smashing  
into the receptors of Serenity's mind. With all the work that the  
doctors had done, for all their brilliant capabilities, they hadn't  
been quite able to teach Serenity about the full capabilities of her  
mind. True, they taught her all they knew, but without someone fully  
capable of knowing her limits, they couldn't know what they needed to  
teach her. It was the same for her physical powers. Minako was strong,  
true. But there were things that Serenity had the potential for, moves  
that Minako had no way to teach Serenity because Minako was incapable  
of them herself. Serenity knew that there were limits to the abilities  
of those around her. They were at a distinct disadvantage. Serenity  
was not at her best, so most likely, any attempt at Omega would fail,  
even if they had all the artifacts.

There was only one solution: even out the playing field. Since  
Alpha had all the advantages, it was time to take some of them away.  
Serenity knew she could not include those around her. They were fully  
dedicated, she knew, but they were weaker, slower, and liabilities in  
case things became too dangerous. Of course, all of them were  
expendable, in the long run. Demando, Minako, Rei...all of them were  
helpful in the cause, but ultimately, Serenity was the one that had to  
survive. And she was the only one who could risk any movement at the  
moment without being caught. Ordinary soldiers were no match for her.  
She had already evolved beyond their abilities to stop her. As long  
as she struck where there was no chance that Endymion or members of  
the Inner Circle could reach quickly, she could attack unopposed.

A smile of satisfaction graced Serenity's face. It was time to act.

Alpha Headquarters

"Fuck." Kalkia interrupted Kunzite's report during one of  
their daily meetings. He glared at her and was about to snap at her  
for her rudeness when she shoved her chair away from the table. "We  
have a problem"

He raised an eyebrow and opened his mouth to say something  
scathing when she shoved her chair back from the table. She ignored  
him and turned to Endymion. "Go to the Alpha Six Enclave, Sector  
Three now. Omega is there"

"What?" Nephlite looked at her as if she was crazy. "How do  
you know that?"

"General Sephiroth was stationed there after the Crimson Flame  
was lost in order to draw the Resistance attention," Kalkia irritably  
explained. "All that's there is a school, but we thought it would make  
them assume there might be an artifact there. He's either dead or  
dying. Omega is there." She glanced over at Rose briefly, but her dark  
green eyes betrayed nothing. "Endymion has to go now. None of us will  
be able to get there in time. I'm sure that she's disabled the  
teleportation site."

Nephlite and Jedeite both turned to their communications link  
as Kalkia finished speaking, the high-pitched audible sound signalling  
an all-out military emergency. Hitting a button, the conference room  
was soon seeing the military call through the main holographic screen.

"Generals, please forgive the intrusion," an unknown soldier  
said. Explosions could be heard in the distance and the projection  
flickered for an instant.

Nephlite frowned. "Soldier, where is General Sephiroth? Why  
isn't there an officer speaking on this --"

"I'm sorry, sir, but the General is dead, sir. All commanding  
officers have left to lead the men." Somewhere behind the field of  
the camera, men screamed as another explosion rocked the area. "They  
asked me to relay the message, sir," shouted the frightened soldier.  
"We're under attack from Ome-" With a wink, the hologram disappeared  
and the computer announced that the sending signal was lost.

Quickly, Kunzite stood, glancing at the other three generals.  
"Get all the available troops in that area mustered. I want them  
moving, on the double." He shot a look at Endymion. "Go, with what  
power you can muster, and get there fast. I want Omega destroyed"  
With a push from Kalkia, who was looking a little wild-eyed, Endymion  
left in a golden tide of power.

Kunzite turned and headed out the door. "We'll teleport to the  
nearest site and use our power to get to the fighting. This might be  
our chance." All four members of the Inner Circle disappeared out the  
door.

"Come on, Kal, let's go to our rooms," said Rose in a quiet voice.

Kalkia looked at her friend and then shook her head. "Find Jon  
and tell him I'm sick. He'll understand what that means. I just want  
to be alone for a minute. You should link with Endymion. Just to make  
sure he doesn't do anything stupid"

"Kal--"

"No. Please don't"

Alpha Six Enclave, Sector Three, once known as Old Antwerp, Belgium

The smell of blood and ash was heavy in the air. Smoke  
billowed from multiple points from the old cathedral and surrounding  
buildings. Hundreds of years ago, it had been renovated into a school  
and expanded towards the sky like most of the buildings since Alpha  
had been established. Near the top spire was Omega, surveying the  
destruction below. From where he stood, Endymion could see the blood  
on her hands and clothes, the sweat on her face, and the apathy in her  
eyes.

It was an image of her that was at complete odds from his last  
memory of her. If it hadn't been for Rose's training, he would have  
been distracted by that memory. As it was, all the thought did was to  
make him angry at what Omega had done.

On the ground at her feet were the bodies of children. Some  
were as young as two years old, some as old as eleven, but they were  
still just children. Boys and girls dressed in their night clothes,  
clothes that were meant for shielding their bodies from the chill of  
night. Small pants and shirts, with prints of varied hues and shapes  
decorating them, meant to soothe young minds into pleasant slumber.  
Their bodies were still amidst the chaos, just as if they were all  
deeply asleep, if you didn't look closely. But Endymion did, and he  
could see that some of their eyes were open, that look of fear and  
terror still fresh in those still shining and teary eyes, frozen for  
eternity with the coming of death. Their forms were like little dolls,  
broken and twisted. Some of their necks were at wrong angles, while  
others were missing limbs, limbs that were tossed in other corners of  
the destroyed nursery.

In all that he had witnessed of Alpha so far, in all the hate  
that Kalkia and Rose had carried with them and had echoed to him  
through their connections, there were still some lines that the  
doctors had never crossed in their worst imaginings of Alpha crimes,  
some that even the generals of Alpha had never crossed in reality. The  
mindless slaughter of children was one of them. Even Alpha had its  
limits, but aparently Omega thought herself above such things.

She stood there, amongst the fiery wreckage, her white pants  
and simple turtleneck splattered with crimson blood and darker stains  
from heavier things. The knife she held in her right hand glistened  
with bodily fluids; not a glimpse of the metal of the knife could be  
seen. Her long golden locks were confined in a bun on her head, oddly  
enough, untouched by the gore that covered her body. Her blue eyes  
were looking without emotion at the whimpering and crying young boy  
she held in her left hand. The boy choked and sputtered as Serenity  
tightened her grip, her right hand moving down for the kill.

A sudden movement stilled her hand and Endymion could see her  
gaze transferring to her left foot. A hand was clenched around her  
ankle. One of the caretakers on guard at the nursery was trying to  
stop her, using Serenity's leg to pull her broken body off the floor.

"Please," she rasped, her voice faint amongst the noise of the  
destruction. From his distance, Endymion could barely hear it. "Leave  
the children alone." She wrapped an arm around the boy, trying to  
comfort him and pry him away from Serenity's grip.

With an annoyed look, Serenity put her knife back in its  
sheath, which was tied to her belt. Hope sprang into the woman's eyes  
and she opened her mouth to give thanks to her unknown attacker, when  
Serenity violently ripped the woman's tongue out of her mouth.

The woman's bloody and wet screams echoed in the room, her  
eyes wide and lined in blood. With another simple movement, Serenity  
aimed a blow to the woman's head, smashing skin and bone, with enough  
force to bring a fresh mist of gray matter onto her clothing. The boy  
in Serenity's grasp stopped his struggles, shock stilling his mind,  
his eyes locked upon the caretaker's body.

Finished with her distraction, Serenity returned her attention  
to the task at hand. Slipping her knife from the sheath, she swiped  
her arm in a horizontal manner. With a small cry, the boy coughed up  
some blood, even as his intestines and other internal organs fell from  
his small body. They landed with a heavy, liquid plop, onto the cold  
tiled floor. Their warmth soon leeched into the tile, as the pile  
began to be covered from the blood raining from above. Like an empty  
husk, Serenity dropped the boy's body, his emptied flesh falling next  
to the pile, like a sack next to its contents. The boy's eyes were  
still glazed over with pain, something his brain registered before the  
shock slowly set in. It seemed like an eternity to Endymion, even  
though it took only a matter of seconds, but he could see the boy's  
rapid, shallow breathing, as his body desperately tried to keep him  
alive, even though most of the internal organs were missing. Blood  
raced from the boy's body, making the boy dizzy, then sleepy,  
Endymion knew, from the emotions and sensations he was getting from  
the boy. Soon, the boy's brain stopped working, too little blood and  
finally, blissfully quiet darkness stole upon the boy.

Endymion clenched his hand into a fist and with just a whisper  
of a thought, flung wild and uncontrolled energy at Serenity. It  
crashed into her shield and did nothing more than draw her attention  
to him. He could see the moment that recognition entered her eyes and  
he knew she was surprised to see him. He didn't wait for her to come  
to him or even give her the chance to attack. He moved away from his  
previous position and began to effortlessly scale the walls, giving  
her a moving target.

"I thought you were one of the good guys." His anger at seeing  
her like this, having heard her words when she had stopped Rei from  
huring Rose the first time they had met, made him seeth.

"Endymion?" She was still a little off balance at his  
entrance. Then she tossed that emotion aside and glared angrily at  
him. "How did you get here so quickly?" she demanded. Her voice was  
petulant and that in itself incensed him even more. He hurled another  
burst of energy at her. He knew it would glance off her shields but it  
was meant to keep her off balance until he got close enough to do some  
real damage.

"They were children!" He snarled and then leapt from the  
building he was climbing onto hers with little difficulty. Once the  
cathedral had been the highest church in all of the old European  
Union, now it was tiny compared to the modern buildings around it.

"They were Alpha," she replied coolly, curiously waiting for  
him to join her. "Alpha is breeding them for cannon fodder anyway. It  
makes no difference that it was now that they died rather than later.  
They were here to die."

"They were here to live! They were living, breathing,  
individuals, Omega!" He finally stood on the top of the pinnacle where  
she was waiting only a few feet away from her. "You gained nothing  
here."

Serenity's dark cerulean gaze took in the figure before her, a  
perfect picture of an avenging angel of old. She shook her head, to  
remove the mental image while also denying his previous comment. "As  
children of Alpha, they would have been raised to do their assigned  
genetic roles. They would have grown up and become citizens of this  
corrupt and vile society. What I have done is remove people that would  
have been assets to Alpha in the future. It matters not that what they  
were intended for. Civilian, military, scientific, all in all, this  
has helped to hurt Alpha and anything that hurts Alpha, will help  
bring me closer to Omega."

Endymion swept his arms wide, motioning to the carnage around  
him. "How can you say that? Even the worst of Alpha, in even the most  
horrifying attacks, children were always left alive, if possible."

Sneering, Serenity raised a delicate eyebrow. "I find that  
hard to believe. When proving a point, Alpha has no compunction in  
killing an entire family. Attacks into rebel locations have always  
had children included in the casualties."

"They've never done wholesale slaughter! THIS, this was  
absolutely POINTLESS! Whatever small strategic gain you got here does  
not even begin to balance the immorality and violence of the act!" He  
could feel his anger beginning to cloud his mind, the red-tinged  
fury starting to infect all higher functions. "Not even Metallia would  
condone this, even though it was for fear of damaging public  
sentiment." He seethed and began glowing with Power, his eyes seeing  
nothing around him except the figure bathed in blood and other pieces  
from the bodies around them. Hate. A feeling of pure, unadulterated  
Hate began to fill his heart. Disgust, loathing, they were all there,  
but Hate came first.

Suddenly, a cool wind seemed to blow through the area. It took  
precious moments, longer than usual, but Endymion slowly realized it  
was Rose connecting with his mind. He could feel her outrage and  
horror at things around him, before she stored all those emotions.  
'You need to remain calm, Endymion.'

'CALM??'

Love, understanding, reassurance, he could feel all of that  
coming over the bond. 'Don't act in passion. She truly doesn't  
understand morality. It doesn't excuse things, but it would help  
you deal with this with some semblance of understanding. Passion will  
only make things worse.'

There was no more to be said, because Serenity had gotten  
tired of talking. She unleashed a wave of power, aimed directly at  
Endymion.

Like his had before, it crashed against his shields and did no  
damage except to rock the foundation of the cathedral they were  
standing on. Endymion tried to do as Rose suggested but it was  
becoming more and more difficult by the moment. 'I'm not Kalkia. I  
can't kill the way she does.' Then he gave all his focus to attacking  
Serenity. Her power may have crashed on his shield, but he focused his  
enough to throw her back into the clock tower.

She didn't make a sound as her slight form crashed into the  
face and glass. Keeping a good hold on her weapon and immediately  
moved to attack. She didn't see any weapons on him, so she thought it  
would be easy to defeat him, especially with the power boost she had  
received from him during their intimate encounter. Endymion didn't  
give up any ground to her, again forcing her back with just the will  
of his mind. His telekineses wasn't as good as Kalkia's--yet--but it  
was still better than Omega's. He didn't need a weapon.

Blind with anger he continued his onslaught of attacks on  
Serenity. After he had made love to her, he had just assumed that  
killing her would be too difficult. However, with the carnage around  
him, it was almost too easy. There, in the deepest recesses of his  
mind, was a dark desire. Almost like a living, breathing thing, it  
slithered around, coaxing, seducing, enticing. It would be so easy,  
just to annihilate the person in front of him, his soulmate. She was  
evil in the worst way: she just didn't care. She had no understanding,  
no comprehension, and, worst of all, no desire to change. He still  
loved her; she was his soulmate. There was a physical beauty, yes,  
but beyond that, there was a knowledge that she could be so much more,  
she could be fully the woman he could love. But not now, not as she  
was at the moment.

'Love doesn't care for logic, morality, and other such  
niceties. It is a beast with no mind, just instincts. It will tear at  
your heart, your gut, your mind, destroy everything in its path, in  
order to achieve what it needs.' He could feel Rose turn her attention  
in that metaphysical way. 'The generals approach. She'll sense them  
soon. Make a decision.' Holding out a mental hand, she soothed  
Endymion's mind as much as possible.

He let the calmness fill him, even as he registered that  
Serenity was readying for another volley of attacks. She had been  
withstanding much of his other attacks rather well, even though a lot  
of his attacks were getting through her paltry shields. Physically,  
she could withstand much more, but she knew that she would lose unless  
she did something. So she struck, not at Endymion himself, because she  
knew that somehow, her attacks were puny against his defenses. She  
struck outward, blowing up more of the energy generators that were out  
in the perimeter of the church, towards the residences that the  
military personnel were desperately trying to protect.

It was a cascade reaction on such a large scale that Endymion  
barely had time to fling out a warning to Rose and the Generals. Like  
the radius of a simple bomb, the fires of her attack expanded in a  
concentric cirlcle. It was so quick that the destruction began to gain  
speed exponentially as the seconds passed. Sector three--Antwerp--was  
burning.

In his minds eye he could see that this fire, this destruction  
would not stop until it covered nearly half of Enclave Six. And at the  
center of it, she stood watching the horror around her with a serenity  
that he knew he would not have again.

"You are Omega," he said and she turned to look at him. Her  
blue eyes were wide and overbright as she turned back to the death she  
had caused.

"I am." Her voice was hoarse and he saw that her shoulders  
were shaking. She turned to look past him and clenched one of her  
hands into a fist. "I had hoped they were dead," she said finally.  
Then without any other warning, she ran to the edge of the tower and  
jumped off into the ruin.

He was torn. He could go after her and possibility face the  
final decision to kill or be killed by his soulmate. Or, he could go  
after the explosions and stem them off before they killed every  
single person in Enclave Six. The four generals of the Inner Circle  
were already issuing evacuation orders and mustering all available  
units to damage control, but there was nothing they could really do to  
stop what Omega had set into place. With a roar of frustration, he  
watched as the woman he loved, still loved, disappeared into the smoke  
and destruction. "Damn you." With that, he teleported as well,  
reappearing near Kunzite's position. It would take much of his powers  
at this point in order to stop what she had done; but it would save  
more lives at the moment.

"This isn't over." He whispered into the fiery inferno.

Alpha Headquarters, Alpha One Enclave

Rose sat on her bed, knees drawn to her chest, as she  
monitored all that went on around her. Endymion was still working with  
military engineering corps, civilian damage control crews and the  
generals. Much of Enclave Six's power grid was out and people were  
flocking to emergency shelter units. Because of the lack of power, the  
treatment units for the polluted air weren't working and there was no  
heat being provided to most of Sector Three, Four and Six. She could  
feel Endymion's hurt, confusion, and anger vibrating down the bond.  
She could even read Kunzite and the other general's revulsion at the  
carnage that Endymion had reported to them. Most of the people in  
the sectors most affected were frightened and terrified. The local  
rebel groups were ushering what aid they could to the underground  
inhabitants as well as contacting the chain of command, wondering  
what the hell just happened.

Somewhere, lost in the darkness, was Kalkia. Rose knew that s  
he was hurting and mourning her latest loss but didn't want any  
type of comfort. At least, not now. And in that same darkness came the  
feeling of Jonathon's own hurt and anger.

Rose clenched her jaw. Just what the hell was Serenity up to?  
With a redirection of power, Rose knew that Minako had no idea what  
their project had been up to. Well, maybe it was time for them to find  
out.

Omega Cell Headquarters

Minako looked at the news bulletin that was currently  
speculating that the Resistance was responsible for the attack on  
Enclave Six in anger. After a few moments she smacked the console off  
and practically growled. "Bastards. We don't have anywhere near the  
power to destroy an entire sector, not without detection," she hissed.

Ami gently put her hand on her friend's shoulder in an attempt  
to calm her down. "They've done this before, Minako," she pointed out  
gently. "And everytime its just added to our numbers. The people know  
who's really responsible."

Just then, the door to the meeting room opened and Haruka and  
Rei ran in, flustered. "Where is she," asked Rei, even as she scanned  
the room's occupants.

"What do you mean, where is she?" Minako could feel her  
anxiety level rising. With one glance, all the pertinent members of  
Omega cell's leadership were mustered. Everyone was there who was  
usually there, except...

"Omega, Serenity, where the hell is she?" Haruka looked at  
Demando. "Was she with you in the lab?"

His brow furrowed as his red-violet eyes looked on in  
confusion. "After the last meeting, the science team and I had a small  
informational session. We didn't call Serenity in." He looked at Rei.  
"I thought she was with you."

Rei shook her head vigorously, her black mane whirling about  
her head. "No, Mako and I had dinner with her and then we all retired  
for the night."

Mina blinked and was about to say something when Ami  
interrupted her. "Computer," she said simply. "Locate Serenity Omega"

Omega is in her quarters.

Ami raised an eyebrow. "Did any of you think to check there?" she  
asked dryly. "She's probably been asleep. Serenity has been  
training hard these past few days."

Rei shook her head. "She wasn't there an hour ago and the  
computer couldn't locate her. She has been missing, Ami." Her tone  
implied that she resented the implication that she just hadn't thought  
it through. "Computer, when did Omega return to the base?"

Oh-one-thirty-six.

"When did she leave?" Minako suddenly asked. A chill crept  
along her spine. She hated it when her intuition started to act up. It  
normally meant something bad had just happened or that things were  
about to get a lot worse.

Twenty-three hundred hours.

"Shit," the captain hissed and shoved her chair back so  
forcefully that it fell to the ground. "Ami, watch the news and see if  
there is any new developments. Rei, come with me. Haruka, stay here  
with the doctors. Wake Makoto up and have her start preparing for..."  
her voice trailed off. "Goddamnit, Serenity," she muttered under her  
breath as she stalked towards the door. She threw the last of her  
orders over her shoulder as Rei rushed to keep up. "Tell Mako to make  
sure that our location hasn't been compromised. Contact Seiya and  
Yaten, and Death. I don't want any more surprises."

The door swooshed closed behind her and the two women ran down  
the halls to Serenity's room. Minako didn't even pause to ask for  
permission to enter. She stopped in the center of the living room area  
and looked around for any sign of Omega. She could hear the shower  
running and the soft sound of someone crying. Rei's expression  
immediately softened and she moved to go to the bathroom. Minako  
stopped her with a hand on her elbow.

"Tell her to get out and dressed right now. I want to talk to her."

"You're not going in yourself?" Rei asked in confusion.

"I have to be her Captain, Rei. Not her friend."

Within minutes, a semi-wet Serenity appeared before Minako,  
dressed in a simple exercise ensemble. Rei hadn't even give Serenity  
the time needed to get completely dry under the machine. Serenity's  
long silver locks were still damp and her face had been scrubbed  
clean, giving her an innocent child-like appearance.

Minako knew something had happened and appearance were  
definitely deceiving in this case. "What did you do, Serenity?"

Serenity lifted her blue eyes, her gaze cool and collected.  
Evidently, she had recovered from her crying fit in the shower. "I  
have done what needed to be done."

Slamming a fist into a nearby table, Minako didn't even feel  
the pain it should have caused. "Don't fucking play games with me,  
Serenity. What the hell did you do?"

Rei spoke up, eyeing Serenity's quiet form. "Don't yell at  
her, Minako, she hasn't done anything wrong-"

"I did what needed to be done," said Serenity in a quiet  
voice, taut with the beginnings of anger.

"You won't get what you want from her," came a new voice. All  
three occupants of the room looked up and saw someone that shouldn't  
even be there.

"Rose?" Rei was trying to process what her eyes were telling  
her. There stood the young woman, hair bound in a simple braid, in a  
pair of black pants and a shirt. In a moment, the setting shifted.  
Suddenly, all members of the Omega cell were in what seemed to be an  
auditorium of sorts, seated, with Serenity and the rest of the  
leadership in the front rows.

Minako didn't even show how displaced and surprised she felt,  
instead she looked at Rose calmly. "I don't need you running here to  
give me the answers you want me to know, Rose. I am quite capable of  
handling Omega."

"Like you handled Enclave Six?" Standing a little to the back  
of Rose was Kalkia. She looked young and incredibly sad compared to  
the last time Minako saw her. Hell, the last time the blonde had seen  
Skye was during her fake execution, so any appearance was an  
improvement.

Rei's jaw just dropped as she looked between Serenity and  
Minako. Omega wasn't denying anything and it made Serenity's earlier  
words ring through her ears. I did what had to be done. Rei shuddered  
in horror. "The entire city, Serenity"

"It had to be done," she insisted even as tears came to her  
eyes. Ami gave a soft gasp of horror and Demando looked away in shame.

Minako clenched her jaw. "You've done what you came to do,  
Rose. We're aware and we're not stupid. I will handle this."

'HOLD' With a silent command from Rose's mind, all members of  
the audience were quiet and still. 'You'd think that we were the  
aggressors in this little tete a tete. I come here to show you the  
truth of your actions.' Instantly, a screen appeared. Rose took  
Kalkia's hand. "Go on back, Kal, I'll come as soon as I get the little  
movie started. You don't need to see...what happened, again."

Kalkia nodded and didn't look back as she disappeared. Rose  
glanced at the captive audience. "From her own memories, I show you  
all what happened on this night." Then, Rose too, disappeared.

On the screen that wasn't there, came a movie that wasn't  
quite a movie. Scenes of the destruction played, from Serenity's own  
mind. It was easy for Rose to access the memories and there was no  
denying what happened. Reflected in the eyes of the dying was Omega  
herself, a bringer of death and destruction. All could see how she  
fought and killed General Sephiroth, killed the children easily and  
without pause, and how she willed the devastation of the city and  
civilians in order to keep the military and others occupied so that  
she might kill without interruption. When the memories were over, all  
were released and were back where they all were previously.

Minako looked down at Serenity, now that they were back in the  
privacy of her own quarters. Rei looked like she might physically be  
sick from what she had seen, what she had felt. Serenity, however,  
just met Minako's eyes and didn't flinch. "I would do it again"

"Our goal isn't blind destruction, Omega. It's the end of the  
Alpha regime. All those people you killed were innocents"

"They were Alpha. I did what had to be done. I'd do it again."

Rei gave a quiet cry as she shuddered. "If you really think  
that, then why were you crying before?"

Serenity blinked and it surprised Minako to see tears pool in  
the wide, blue irises. She swallowed and shut her eyes tightly.  
"Endymion was there. He..." She felt the bile rise in her throat  
again. "He hates me."

Rei and Minako both stared at the figure in front of them,  
trying to assimilate what they had just heard. Serenity sat there, in  
front of them, completely miserable over the fact that some man hated  
her; not a tiny part of that sadness over the fact that she just  
killed hundreds of children.

What had they done? What kind of monster had they created?

Alpha Headquarters, Alpha One Enclave

General Kunzite was throughly exhausted when he finally  
arrived at his quarters. Keying the password, he walked in and threw  
his dirty uniform on his couch as he began to remove the rest of his  
filthy clothes and demand the computer for lights. Everything seemed  
to be part of the ordinary as he made his way back to the bathroom. He  
was about to turn on the lights there when he glanced at his bed and  
was shocked to find it occupied.

"Kalkia"

The figure moved back the blankets and he was met with the  
tear-streaked face of his heart sister. Kunzite was so tired that he  
was completely unaware that his eyes had changed from their frigid  
green to the gentle blue of his youth. She stared at him for a moment  
before hastily trying to get out of the bed.

"I'm sorry! I'll get out of here...the computer was supposed  
to tell me when you'd return so you wouldn't find me here." Her babble  
was cut short when she tripped on the sheet and fell to the floor.  
Nostalgia filled him when he saw she was wearing one of his shirts.  
Not really thinking past the moment, he crossed the room and picked  
her up, placing her back in his bed. He couldn't remember how many  
times he'd done this for her in the past. Mostly it was when some boy  
had hurt her, or some girl had said something that made her unsure.  
Always she would come here and sleep in his bed. Sometimes he would  
sleep next to her, other times out on the couch. He remembered how  
smug he felt when she would do this. For it was him, not Nephlite,  
that she would turn to.

"Get some rest, Kia. We can talk after I shower"

She watched him with wide eyes as he went into the bathroom  
and closed the door. She still trembled as she laid there, unsure what  
to expect. She really hadn't meant to stay that long. He meant to be  
quick so he could at least attempt to comfort her over Sephiroth's  
death before the morning came. But when he came back and found her  
gone, he knew he hadn't been fast enough. With a sigh, he went over to  
where she had left his shirt and even made his bed. It was like she  
hadn't even been there at all. Picking it up, he stared at it for  
several minutes before hurling it across the room.

Once more his eyes were cold and pale.


	12. Chapter Eleven

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon is the property of Takeuchi Naoko and various  
other entities. Plot and original characters of Kalkia and Rose are  
the property of The Rose Society and Kayla Chavi. 

Alpha's Omega  
Chapter Eleven - DRAFT  
By: Kayla Chavi and The Rose Society  
Rating: R

* * *

Omega Cell Headquarters, Alpha One Enclave 

Luna pointed at the display in front of her. "This, ladies and  
gentlemen, would be the Eye of the Phoenix. And," she toggled the next  
image, "this would be where it is held, a top secret facility in  
Alpha Thirteen Enclave."

Artemis cleared his throat. "From what intelligence we've  
gathered from the other Resistance cells and from the underground  
rumors from Yaten, Seiya, and the other assassins, the enclave has a  
special facility hidden deep within the recesses of the Underground  
areas."

Haruka frowned. "That doesn't make sense. Alpha doesn't bother  
with Underground areas. That's precisely why those who drop out of  
Alpha society live and survive in those areas, so they can exist  
outside of Alpha's radar."

"Which is exactly why that would be the perfect place to hide  
a top secret facility," replied Makoto. She pulled up an image of the  
area's topography. "Alpha Thirteen is old Egypt. There are innumerable  
dangers to deal with if one were left outside the protected domiciles  
of Alpha. There is an expansive desert bordered by a river and sea.  
Most of it has been left undeveloped since Metallia's ascension to  
power. There is nothing of value, really, in the immediate vicinity.  
It's too far away from the major ports and teleportation sites. It'll  
take a lot of effort just to get a team there."

"Which brings us to the matter of security," said Michiru.  
"This facility, since it is top secret in nature, has some of the top  
research material ever. The codes for this area aren't to be taken  
lightly. We'll need our best code breaker to be there, since the  
access codes change on a varible time sequence, encrypted with some of  
the best fractals ever."

Ami made a face. She knew before the briefing had begun what  
might be expected of her, but that didn't mean she had to like it.  
Whenever possible, she tried to stay out of the field and in the lab.  
Minako was nodding as she went through the data while Artemis and Luna  
waiting for her to finish.

"I want a team of four. Ami, it will be your responsibility to  
get you and Serenity inside the inner stronghold where the artifact  
is." She glanced over at Omega. "If you sense that it's not there,  
then don't let the team go in. I don't want another Neptune incident"  
Serenity just nodded. Things between them had been strained for the  
past few weeks. "Michiru, you and Rei will be the immediate back up.  
I'll have Yaten and Seiya do a perimeter to make sure you're getting  
some cover, but it isn't going to be much, ladies." She paused. "Any  
questions?"

Makoto cleared her throat, appearing for a moment to be a  
little nervous. "Minako, we need to have more than just those six.  
There is a good possiblity that Project Alpha or any member of the  
Inner Circle could be there. Tactically, it would be wise to make sure  
that Rei or Ami doesn't go in against their ex-lover. In Neptune we  
barely got out. It's too equal of a match and frankly not wise to  
engage them on a mental level."

Rei winced at that and tried to look busy with the briefings  
outline. Makoto was giving a mild version of what had happened. She  
and Jediete had only been able to start the slow process of killing  
each other. "I agree. The problem is that we won't know who's there  
until we're inside. Ames and I can switch if that is the case."

"I'd love to be able organize an all out assault on the  
facility and give you guys all the backup necessary, but stealth is  
always to be key here. A larger group risks a greater possibility of  
detection under the heat and psychic energy detectors." Minako shook  
her head. "Under the circumstances, a party of six is already pushing  
things as far as I want to go. I'm sending in some of our best, Mako;  
it'll have to be enough." She shot a hard look at Ami and Demando, the  
representatives of the science teams. "How are you guys coming along  
on impulse control with Omega?"

Shaking his head, Demando uploaded the data from his datapad.  
"We've done what we could. We've gotten some of our best mental  
abilities experts to work with her too, in order to strengthen  
Serenity's capabilities should she face Endymion again. But most of  
our people simply have no idea of Serenity's powers; they can't train  
her to harness what they have no experience with."

"Any chance we can liberate someone closer to her abilities"  
Under no circumstances did Minako want to let Serenity loose into the  
general populace again, not after what happened, not unless some  
changes were made.

"The top metaphysical personnel have always been some of the  
most closely watched and guarded people in Alpha society. There's no  
way we could get one of them without having the security systems  
terminate their brain functions." Demando shook his head again. "Nope,  
we'll have to make do with who we have."

Minako looked over at the young woman sitting across the table  
from her. She looked over at Ami and raised an eyebrow. The scientist  
looked sad for a moment but nodded. A sense of relief flooded through  
the blonde. It was good to know that Ami at least thought the Omega  
termination sequence still worked. Minako turned her attention to  
Serenity. "You are going to behave yourself, Omega. I'm letting you go  
because we need your power to get that artifact and we need you to  
bring about change. If you fuck up like you did in Enclave Six, I'll  
have no problem putting you in a coma. Are we clear?"

Serenity nodded and then looked down at her lap. "Yes,  
Captain."

"Good. Ami, make your preparations and be prepared to leave in  
twenty-four hours. Dismissed."

The room cleared out, leaving Minako and Rei alone. When the  
doors closed, Rei finally spoke. "You're being too hard on her. She's  
just a child."

"She's one of the most powerful people on this planet, Rei. I  
can't afford to be lax in the slightest when it comes to her. I'm  
going to give Ami the permission codes for termination. If at any time  
she acts like she might repeat Enclave Six, Ami is going to activate  
the self-destruct."

"Minako! How can you just--" Rei stopped when Minako slammed  
her data pads on the table and silently met her eyes. The leader of the  
cell didn't have to say anything, her eyes held it all. Rei sighed and  
gathered up her own things. "She regrets what she did."

"But not for the right reasons."

"She's just a child," Rei insisted.

Minako arched a flaxen brow and snorted. "Rei, she was sad  
because her lover was mad. She killed children, in some of the most  
horrific ways, ways worthy of Esmeraude the Enforcer, and she was ONLY  
minutely regretful because of a lover's tiff! Tell me that you could  
let her loose on an unsuspecting world, where, if she decides it's  
for the furtherment of the cause, she'd sink an entire island with  
millions of inhabitants without batting an eye!" There was no reply.  
"Just," Minako sighed. "Just go, Rei, and leave me alone." Without  
waiting, Minako left the briefing room to seek the solitude of her  
private quarters.

Alpha Headquarters

"Are you sure about this?" Nephlite looked ill at ease. "To  
leave our major centers weaker, especially after the attack on Alpha  
Six, well..."

Kunzite nodded. "Yes. Divert the chosen battalions. Metallia  
is exerting her power over the people. Even if the rebels choose this  
time to rebel, we'll have ample power to quell any disturbances since  
the citizens themselves won't join in. We need to make sure that the  
artifacts will be protected. The longer we have to strengthen our  
numbers and Alpha himself, the better."

"Besides," interjected Jedeite. "This way, those anarchists  
will have an unpleasant surprise in case they try to hit any of the  
artifacts." He looked over the schematics. "Failure is not an  
option."

Omega Cell Headquarters

The squad of six stood in the teleportation room, preparing to  
do the low-power teleportation to a site near the ports of Alpha  
Thirteen Enclave. From there, they would have to obtain transport  
through and out of the city from Thirteen's Resistance cell members in  
order to avoid detection. Hopefully, they would reach the city limits  
by nightfall to begin the trek to the facility.

They had dressed like natives of the enclave in order to avoid  
detection until they could get to the perimeter of the base. Then they  
would change into the skin tight black operations suits in hopes that  
they could dissapear into the shadows. Serenity had seen all of her  
fellow resistance members in such attire with the exception of Ami. It  
was surprising to her to see how dangerous the small woman seemed. And  
without her usual laboratory glasses, she was actually very pretty.

'Maintain radio silence now.' Rei ordered as they reached the edge of the  
city. She and Michiru waited a little ways off, still well  
within the sights of Seiya and Yaten. Serenity stood guard as Ami  
began to disable the security lock on the access tunnel to the  
Underground. Her fingers flew over the data pad and within seconds,  
she basically unlocked the back door. Rei grinned at her and then  
nodded for the six of them to enter.

Alpha Headquarters, Alpha One Enclave

Endymion's head snapped up, in the middle of his work out.  
Next to him, Rose, who was working out with him, especially since  
Kalkia hadn't really been up to much since Sephiroth's death, paused  
as well. One dark eyebrow rose. 'They on the move?'

A flood of anger filled Endymion's mind. 'Yeah.'

Laying a small hand on Endymion's bicep, her dark violet eyes  
regarding him seriously. "Endymion," she said, "you have to control  
your anger. No matter what happens, anger will only cloud your mind."

He made a sound, the beginnings of a protest, before Rose's  
grip tightened considerably on his arm. 'You know that I will not  
allow you to become overruled like Serenity was. You have until the  
generals realize that that facility is being breached to calm down.  
If not...' She looked sad but determined. 'I'll do it forcefully. I  
pledged to you that I would try to get stronger and no longer wait for  
death. I haven't been getting better just to watch you get yourself  
killed.'

Endymion kept his jaw clenched for several long seconds before  
looking away and nodding once. He had grown to hate the connection he  
could feel between him and Serenity. It was this rope around his neck  
that nearly choked him when there were surges of emotion from her. It  
also pissed him off that it didn't go the other way. She still  
couldn't feel him. He pushed that frustration aside and tried to do as  
Rose asked him.

"What about Kalkia?" he finally said after they were finished  
for the day. "You say you're not going to watch us die, yet she hasn't  
been out of her room for weeks. Well, except for those few hours she  
was in Kunzite's room..." His voice trailed off when he saw the odd  
look she was giving him. "You didn't know she was there?" He felt a  
stirring of hope and pride start within him. Rose was always telling  
him how he would surpass her mental abilities eventually. If she  
hadn't known where her closest friend was, her sister, then it meant  
that he was getting stronger.

"I thought it best to leave Kalkia alone with her thoughts. I  
should go make sure that Kun--"

"He didn't," Endymion said without any doubt. "I haven't  
figured out why she was there, but he didn't hurt her." He grinned  
when Rose began to look a little annoyed with him for cutting her off.  
However, it was hard to stay frustrated when he was obviously so  
pleased with himself. At least it took his mind off of Omega.

She punched him in the arm, hard, and blew a raspberry at him.  
"You are SUCH a child," she giggled. A look of hurt came over Endymion  
before Rose gave him a bear hug and a kiss. "I love you, do you know  
that?" He grinned, before she continued, "Just remember, I helped to  
create you. I'm always right and even when I'm wrong, I'm right." She  
poked him in his side before laughing and running off.

Jedeite looked up, the blaring signal catching his attention.  
He automatically told the computer to summon the other three generals  
as he read the message.

"What's going on," yelled Kunzite into the communications  
link, the sound of boots hitting the floor in a rapid staccato echoing  
slightly from his link.

"Reports of a slight disturbance in the security net of  
Thirteen Enclave's facility." Jedeite began gathering his supplies.

"That's the location of the Eye of the Phoenix," replied  
Nephlite. "I'll alert the troops stationed there." More shuffling  
could be heard.

"Tell them to stop Omega at all cost," ordered Kunzite. "All  
active generals meet at the teleportation site. Zoicite, get Alpha and  
the rest of the squad."

* * *

Endymion looked up at the ceiling as if there was something  
interesting there. Rose tried not to laugh at his amature gesture.  
Only those not familiar enough with their mental powers used a lot of  
physical movement when accessing them. He may have been getting more  
powerful, but she was still more experienced. People like her didn't  
make unneccessary movements. However, she had no idea what he was  
doing at the moment. Well, better not disturb him. 

"I've got to go to Enclave Thirteen. The Resistance has made  
an attempt to break through," he said. "Omega is with them." He moved  
to leave before spontaneously giving her another tight hug and then  
running off. Rose just smiled and daringly sent a prayer towards the  
heavens that he would be safe.

* * *

Getting through the first three perimeters silently was almost  
too easy for Serenity, so she spent a good deal of the time taking in  
her surroundings. For her fellow Resistance members, it was more  
difficult, so they concentrated on stealth and any unwanted problems.  
After a few minutes, Omega was beginning to wish that Rei hadn't given  
them 'Radio Silence' so she could ask questions. 

It was a place of absolute filth. The stench was enough to  
make her want to retch, but she firmly clamped down on that impulse.  
None of the other women looked like it bothered them and she would not  
disgrace herself in front of Michiru. Serentiy knew exactly who the  
icy women reported to. And it wasn't the stench of death either. Life  
clung to the walls of these buildings with more ferocity than she  
could have ever dreamed possible. This was a place of survival and  
pure existence. There was no hope here, just the will to live. She  
frowned as that thought came through her.

This was what they were trying to save? She looked at the  
empty faces around her, some of the people scampering away like the  
rats that populated the area did as they saw the silent group  
approach. With her limited powers, she could sense that a lot of the  
people around her were just completely insane. They were the results  
of failed experiments or genetic treatments.

A sound to her left caught her attention and she had to turn a  
little to see it. Her eyes widened when she saw a group of about four  
men around what looked like a woman in her early thirties. At first  
Serenity couldn't understand what the men were doing to her, but when  
she realized what exactly was going on, she nearly flung out her power  
to stop it. It was Ami who stopped her with a firm touch on her  
shoulder. She simply shook her head as Serenity looked back. Now she  
could clearly she the woman's face--she was enjoying the rape the men  
were doing. A brief sweep of the women's mind offered a somewhat more  
complete answer.

Some of the older inhabitants of this Underworld were early  
victims of the Urge research. They might have been uncontrollable  
people who resisted Alpha control or simply those destined to be  
research fodder. Often times, if the results were irreversible, the  
people were mercifully put to sleep. However, sometimes these people  
escaped and if they weren't found, ended up in places like Alpha  
Thirteen Enclave's Underground. The woman was just one of these people.  
With her powers, Serenity was able to see that there were hundreds of  
others like her--and not just women, men too. And if she was  
completely honest, several children.

Every enclave, every sector, every place had an Underground,  
places that Alpha soldiers didn't bother to patrol, areas that were  
really of no use to Alpha. Amongst all the people that were hopelessly  
lost in the maze of their own minds were those that had escaped from  
"civilization." There were people who didn't want to follow the life  
plans that had been dictated for them since their conception, but also  
were unwilling to join the Rebellion for fear of Alpha punishment.  
There were the people that glared at the group with murderous hatred.

One man, grizzled from the lack of environmental shielding but  
remarkably healthy considering, spat on the ground as the six passed  
by. His face, covered in dirt and filth, looked waxy under the yellow  
moonlight that managed to pierce through the polluted skies. "Rebel  
murderers," he growled, clenching his fists at his sides.

Michiru looked surprised. "We're not murderers," she said in  
a low voice. "We're fighting for your freedom, for the freedom of  
everyone. We're the good guys."

He laughed, a phlegm-choked sound. "Freedom? Good guys? I  
heard about what your so-called Resistance movement did in Enclave Six  
to those little children. You're no better than Alpha. You just have a  
different set of lies."

Rei shot Michiru a look. 'I said be silent.' Her mental  
projection was for everyone. 'You're wasting your time arguing with a  
crazy, dying, old man. We need to keep moving.'

The aqua-haired woman shrugged and turned away from the greasy  
man. Working through the confusing streets was very difficult,  
especially since both Ami and Rei were making maps so escape would be  
less impossible. Serenity didn't bother with a map. She was able to  
retain the layout of anything she had walked through once. She also  
knew that if it came to escape, she might be the only chance that the  
other girls had.

A few minutes later she heard Ami stumble when a sudden noise  
was heard down one of the alleys. Serenity quickly caught her and  
helped her to her feet before turnning her attention to the sound. It  
was a young child crying, screaming loudly for whomever it was to let  
them go. Omega meant to go after it, when Rei caught her eye and shook  
her head.

"Please!" the whimper echoed. "Please don't. Not there. Not again."

"Shut your mouth." It was the slurred sound of a woman. The  
voice was follwed by a slap. "If you wants your dinner, yous best do  
what I says."

'Keep moving.' Rei ordered when the entire group seemed to  
pause. Serenity could hear Ami attempt to cover her tears.

* * *

At the secret facility's teleportation room, a faint noise  
ushered in the appearance of Generals Kunzite, Nephlite, Jedeite,  
and Endymion. Immediately, the commanding lieutenant colonel saluted  
the group of men. 

"Sir, we received the secured messages from the sector  
security section. From the time that the security breach was  
discovered, we anticipate that the rebels will attempt entry into the  
compound in roughly half an hour," said the lieutenant colonel, still  
standing at attention. God, he hoped he didn't screw up. Rumors  
abounded about how soldiers were punished if they failed the Inner  
Circle. Hell, he had heard that the Inner Circle generals themselves  
were recently disciplined, under orders from Metallia herself. They  
were bound to be in foul moods and looking even harder for any slip  
ups.

Kunzite gave a curt nod. "Nephlite?"

General Nephlite began issuing the orders. "Assemble the  
various squads in their positions. Tell them that Omega is to be  
killed on sight. All other rebels are secondary to that mission goal.  
If possible, rebels can be captured, for interrogation." He paused,  
looking as stern as possible. "Understand this. Anyone failing in  
their duties will be subject to strict punishment from the Alpha  
Brigade."

Immediately people began to follow those orders. While  
Nephlite answered questions, Kunzite turned to Endymion. "You go to  
head them off. I hope that your ability to track Omega hasn't changed.  
Remember, we want her dead."

Endymion gave the silver-haired general a cold look with  
emotionless blue eyes. "If the oportunity presents itself, she will be  
dead."

Kunzite nodded and looked faintly pleased. "Good. Go." Before  
he even finished his order, Endymion was gone. Project Alpha may not  
have been as powerful as Omega, but he was much more experienced in  
his powers. For once, that was an advantage that mattered. The last  
thing the First General of the Inner Circle wanted was another Enclave  
Six Incident.

* * *

As Ami entered the last series of codes, the door to the inner  
complex opened. When hordes of Alpha solders didn't rain down on them,  
she took it as a very good sign. Rei was smiling and Michiru seemed  
relieved. 

'Mental contact only.' The raven leader ordered. 'I'll take  
point. Michiru, the rear. Serenity, you and Ami have to get into that  
chamber. Is it still there.'

'Yes, it hasn't moved. As far as I can tell, there are only  
three guards around it and...' she frowned. 'I believe that Endymion  
is somewhere in the building as well. I can't get a lock as to where.'

Michiru swore rather fluently in the back of her mind. 'We  
should abort. This was planned on the basis that Project Alpha  
wouldn't be here.'

Rei shook her head. 'We've made it this far. Worse comes to  
worse, we'll have Serenity get the artifact and then destroy the  
sector.' She switched to a more personal frequency with Omega. 'Only  
the sector, Sere. Nothing else. Understood?'

'I understand.'

'Let's move out.'

The party began to maneuver the winding corridors, a little  
more settled since Yaten and Seiya were guarding the perimeter. Along  
the way, they had disabled what patrols they had discovered and thus  
far, their presence was still undetected. Still, there was something  
bothering Michiru about this whole thing. Maybe it was just anxiety.

At the chamber doors, Ami began decipher the complex set of  
fractal codes that locked the entrance to the most important research  
materials in the facility. While the other three members of the squad  
waited, all senses on alert in case another patrol stumbled upon them,  
Michiru tried to rid herself of that little niggling feeling in the  
back of her mind.

'Rei?'

'What, Michiru?'

'Have you noticed that it's pretty empty in the research  
departments? I mean, most of the storage, yeah, that's to be expected,  
but the research?'

Frowning, Rei mentally shrugged. 'I don't know. It's pretty  
late, they probably all retired for the night.' Most of her attention  
was focused on Ami and her progress with the codes, so she really did  
not give Michiru's question much thought.

Michiru rubbed her arms. 'I don't know, something is still  
bothering me. Don't Alpha researchers have shifts around the clock?'

'Almost done,' said Ami, her mind rapidly trying to untangle  
the complex codes.

'Something wrong,' asked Serenity. 'Should we abort?'

Shaking her head, Michiru sent, 'Don't worry, it's probably  
nerves. The strategist in me doesn't like coming in while Alpha is  
here.'

'Got it,' sent Ami as the last code was entered. With a click,  
the door swung open.

The sight that greeted the four was not that of a vault filled  
with hidden treasures; instead, it seemed like a wall of Alpha troops  
faced them, guns readied. At the head of the wall was Endymion, his  
arms at his side, relaxed, as if he was about to engage the group of  
rebels in pleasant conversation.

It was Serenity who moved to make the first attack, but it was  
Ami who stopped her. 'We'll be dead before you even get close.' The  
blonde clenched her jaw and lowered her arm. She glared angrily at  
Endymion and decided to ignore the doctor. She raised her hand and  
prepared to blast Endymion.

"Don't." His icy blue eyes met hers pointedly. Serenity hesitated and  
that was the moment he needed to yank her away from the group. He  
hurled her slim body into the nearest bulkhead and inwardly winced at  
the crunch that was audibly heard in the silent corridor. Even though  
he could feel his hate for her thrumming just under the surface of his  
mind, he also knew that unless she did something to set that anger  
off, he would not be able to kill her.

Rei raised her weapon and prepared to attack Alpha Project.  
Then she saw an opening that she couldn't resist taking. Her physical  
manifestations of power were no where near the level of Omega, Project  
Alpha, or even her ex-lover. However, she had enough energy in her  
aura to set off the fire alarms. She could only hope that Ami would take  
care of the rest.

Michiru blinked and then ducked as Rei's aura exploded. The  
confines of the hall and vault made it possible for the fireball to  
engulf everyone who didn't have enough strength to combat it. "Ami!  
Michi!" Rei screamed as she began to fire her crossbow. A moment  
later, both the doctor and assassin were simutaniously using the fire  
supression system to create both ice and water respectively.

And through it all, Serenity stayed on the ground, curled in  
on herself. She hadn't moved but Endymion knew that she was neither  
dead nor unconscious. Through the smoke and water he could feel her  
watching everything, just waiting for something. It was too late when  
he realized what her objective was. In all of their planning, Alpha  
had forgotten to completely guard the vault's contents.

The Eye of the Phoenix was still there.

She made a move towards the artifact but was halted by an  
energy attack. She turned to face her attacker and it was none other  
than General Kunzite. She looked around, and behind her was Endymion,  
a charged energy attack waiting in his hands. She barely had time to  
port out of the way and back to the group of her allies.

One look and the news was dire. They were surrounded, all  
exits cut off by soldiers. Between them and the artifact lay a  
veritable solid wall of soldiers. There was no way to teleport next to  
the artifact to nab it. Serenity didn't have the ability to transport  
it with her mind to her hand. General Kunzite and Endymion stood in  
front of them while General Jedeite and Nephlite were behind them,  
soldiers all around.

"ATTACK," yelled the lieutenant colonel and immediately,  
melee fighting began. Shots, those that were possible given the dense  
thickness of bodies, rang out towards Serenity and the others, barely  
deflected by Serenity's hastily erected shield. The generals  
themselves and Endymion were launching energy attacks at the group.

Sweat beaded Serenity's brow. "I can't hold this. We have to  
get out of here."

Rei nodded, her weapons useless while the shield was up. 'Drop  
your shield and teleport us out of here. Can you do it?'

'I can try,' came Serenity's strained reply.

'Better than nothing,' replied Michiru. 'On my count, drop the  
shield and the rest of us will fire, hopefully holding them off until  
we can get out of here.'

Hearing, rather, sensing every word, Endymion knew he had  
precious seconds to act. Shoving his way through the other soldiers,  
he reached out just as the shield came down. Blocking what shots came  
his way, his hand streaked out toward Omega, hoping to capture her.

A stray shot knocked into Ami's side, making her stumble just  
as Serenity began mustering the energy for the teleportation. As the  
molecules of the four began to disappear, Endymion made a grab,  
locking onto an upper arm and he used his mind to prevent the  
teleport. In the blink of an eye, the center of the chaotic battle  
cleared, leaving only Endymion and his prisoner: Ami.

Nephlite noticed the small shaking form of his friend's  
soulmate and a very small part of his heart sank. Zoicite was going to  
have a hard time allowing her to be handed over to Esmurade. And there  
was no doubt that was exactly where Ami would go. All higher level  
resistance members went to the Enforcer for interrogation and torture.  
The human part of him pitied her and wished that it had been any other  
woman that Alpha Project had managed to capture. Ami would break  
quickly and there would be no chance to turn her.

And Zoicite would lose the last part of himself that kept him  
anchored on the sane part of sanity.

Kunzite was smiling however. They had one of the biggest asset  
of the resistance in their clutches. Omega could not progress now that  
they had Ami Mizuno. "Good work, Endymion."

"I was aiming for Omega," came the annoyed reply. Endymion  
looked downright disgruntled that he had failed in his attempt to  
capture Serenity. Ami continued to silently shake in his grip. She  
found it surprising gentle considering how strong Endymion was rumored  
to be.

"Still," Kunzite shrugged. "This is more of a success than a  
failure. Capturing the doctor will keep you out of Esmeraude's  
playroom. And we still have the Eye of the Pheonix. Metallia might  
even be pleased." He walked over to Ami and tilted her head up to look  
at him. Her deep blue eyes met his squarely, but she was still  
shaking.

Jedeite stepped forward. "We should give her to Zoicite  
first," he began quickly. "His drugs will be more effective than  
whatever Esm--"

"No. I'm putting a security lockdown on this. No one is to tell  
Dr. General Zoicite anything. He is not to know who our prisoner is."

Nephlite tried to swallow the sudden lump in his throat.

"He'll know, Kunzite"

"But not until it is too late. For the same reason I was not  
allowed to kill Minako, he will not be allowed to know of this."

"Damnit, Kunzite!" Jedeite hissed, but the silver-haired  
general paid no heed to him.

"Endymion, take her back to Alpha Prime. She'll be in a  
holding cell tonight and be given to the Enforcer in the morning."  
Kunzite met Endymion's gaze in a look that broke no arguement. "If she  
escapes, I am holding you personally responsible."

Alpha Headquarters, Alpha One Enclave

'I know, Endy.' Rose placed her head in her hands, elbows on  
her desk. Rubbing her temples, she pondered the situation before them.

'If you know, then what should I do? I'm about to send the  
small doctor into the hands of that monster. You know, more than  
anyone else, what she's capable of.'

'But we can't free her, you know that.' Tears began slipping  
down her face and she shut her eyes, as if trying to keep the entirety  
of the mess before her, away.

'You could do it. We could do it. Wipe the generals' minds,  
those who were at the capture site.' Hope began to flare in Endymion's  
heart as he looked at the shivering form beside him. 'Hell, we could  
make it so it was like this never happened.'

'The power that would require, Metallia would sense it for  
sure.' Rose bit her lip. 'Maybe-'

'NO, I won't give you up. There must be some way, something we  
can do...' They arrived at the door to the Interrogation Room. 'There  
isn't, not really, is there?'

Blood began to seep from her abused lip, but she barely even  
noticed. 'Not without upsetting the balance too early,' Rose thought  
to herself, in a part of her mind no one had access to. 'Do your duty  
Endymion and come back as soon as possible. Don't...don't think about  
it too much. I'll talk to you when you get back," she sent, right  
before she cut off the link.

Alpha Headquarters, Alpha Prime

Standing before the door, Endymion looked at the woman beside  
him. Long before, he stopped holding her arm, letting her walk on her  
own, even though he did tell her that he was keeping her from leaving  
or sending any messages out.

"Do you..." he began. Ami's gaze turned away from the door and  
to Endymion's face. Her face was a mask of terror, fear, dread, and  
resignation. His heart went out to her.

He watched her swallow and take a deep breath. "You don't  
belong here," Ami murmured softly. "Then again, neither did he."  
Before Endymion got a chance to ask her what she meant, the small  
woman squared her shoulders and wiped her face of any emotion. She  
reached up and took a small silver earring out of her ear and handed  
it to him. "Please give that to Doctor-General Zoicite. He'll know  
what it means."

Endymion just nodded and then opened the door to Esmerade's  
Torture Chamber. Already the green haired woman was setting up some of  
her favorite toys. Ami faltered a step and Endymion caught her arm  
once more to keep her from falling to her knees. Esmerade was smirking  
as he brought Ami to her. Unable to do nothing, he came up with the  
best lie he could.

"General Kunzite wants her intact when you're finished  
interrogating her. The doctor can serve other purposes than just one  
of your toys."

The torturer frowned and narrowed her eyes. "Metallia said she  
was mine. I can do what I want."

Endymion raised an eyebrow. "General Kunzite will not be  
pleased if he can't use her later. It would be a pity if the Enforcer  
had to receive punishment." He was faintly surprised to see Esmeraude  
pale and her dark eyes widened with a trace of fear. "Don't kill her,  
Enforcer."

"I'll just have Zoicite heal her if its needed."

"Kunzite doesn't want him to know she's here."

Esmeraude rolled her eyes. She didn't say anything else,  
instead opting to take Ami away from Project Alpha. Endymion turned to  
go when Esmeraude began to strip Ami down. As he walked away, he felt a  
part of himself die. He had just delivered someone to the most horrible  
death immaginable. He could only hope that Esmeraude's fear of what  
Kunzite might do to her would keep her from breaking Ami.

He didn't bother staying at Alpha Prime long enough to walk to  
the teleportation room. Under his own power, he left in the blink of  
an eye.

"Ami, Ami, Ami. Long time, no see. So nice of you to visit me a  
fter such a long time," Esmeraude purred. With a loud clang, she  
snapped on the iron shackles, things left over from an era long past.  
"You have to admit," Esmeraude said, her eyes looking lovingly at the  
restraints, "old things are best." She tightened the shackles,  
grinning as they bit into Ami's delicate skin, drawing blood. Moving  
to the foot of the bed, she put the shackles on Ami's ankles. She  
frowned slightly and gave a stinging smack to Ami's naked hip.

"Why aren't you struggling, Ami dear? You could scream, yell,  
and cry all you want. It won't penetrate the shields around this room  
and building, so no one will come rushing to your aid, but at the very  
least, it might help you feel better." She gave Ami a predatory grin.  
"Come on, dearie. We're about to have some fun."

Ami looked blankly up at the ceiling and refused to be baited  
by the woman standing in the room. She didn't even try to shift on the  
cold metal harness to make herself more comfortable. She was not going  
to scream, shout, or make any noise until she literally could not  
control herself. She knew that Esmeraude thrived on the sounds her  
victims made and she had no desire to give the sadist that kind of  
pleasure.

Esmeraude sighed and lightly touched the red and stinging skin  
that she had hit only moments before. She picked up a nearby riding  
crop, once used on horses. On one end was a small piece of leather  
that had a sliver of dull metal attached to it. "You know, Ami, there  
are other forms of torture than just pain. Pain is the most enjoyable  
and normally it has quicker results, but I am a very patient girl."

She took the soft metal end and lightly stroked it against the  
skin between Ami's breasts, drawing it down the center of her body.  
She was slow and didn't put a lot of pressure on the delicate skin.  
The Enforcer smiled as she saw Ami shiver and her skin get goose bumps.  
"Zoicite gave this to me after he became one of the Inner Circle, you  
know," she continued conversationally. "He said he had no use for it  
anymore and that I might like it. I will admit it is a little small  
and fragile for my tastes but I knew that one day it would come in  
handy. It makes me curious. Did he ever use this one you? Or was it  
the other way around?"

Ami closed her eyes but still refused to answer. Esmeraude  
just smiled and continued to caress the blue haired girl's body. "Did  
he ever tie you up?" she asked, still in the same patient and polite  
tone. "Did he ever take this pathetic excuse for a whip to your ass if  
only to kiss away the hurt?" She finally brought the crop down hard  
against one of her breasts. A red welt immediately rose to the surface  
of her skin.

"He still talks about you," she murmured and began to softly  
massage the hurt away with caring fingers. "He says that you were the  
best fuck he ever had. He told me you were a screamer and completely  
uninhibited. Did he lie to me, Ami? Are you a screamer?" She leaned  
down and slowly licked up the welt. Ami gave a stifled whimper and  
tried to move away from Esmeraude.

Esmeraude chuckled and then climbed over Ami to straddle her  
waist. Her leather creaked with her movement as she braced herself over  
her victim and leaned down so her mouth was near her ear. "Will you  
scream when I fuck you?"

Leaning, Esmeraude rubbed her face over Ami's chest, much like  
a cat, purring as she did so. "Tell me what I want to know, Ami, and  
this can go pleasantly for you. You just have to tell me the status of  
Omega, any weaknesses, and her location. Just some itty bits of  
information and I'll make this painless for you." Opening her mouth,  
Esmeraude bit down hard on Ami's left breast, breaking the skin and  
drawing blood. Esmeraude raised herself up, so Ami could see her blood  
stained mouth. "Or you could play hard to crack and I'll have some  
fun. Personally, I hope you choose the latter." She gave the bleeding  
wound some small licks, like a cat lapping at some milk.

Ami still said nothing. With a grin, Esmeraude placed her  
hands on Ami's torso and forcefully heaved herself off of Ami's body.  
"Pain or pleasure, pleasure or pain?" She looked at the small figure  
in front of her. "Fuck that, it's all the same to me. Let's begin,  
shall we?"

Alpha Headquarters, Alpha One Enclave

Endymion slammed his fist into the bulkhead for the tenth time  
in the last minute.

'Calm down, you're wrecking my office. You can't let anyone  
find out that you have a conscience and are bothered with what happened  
with Ami,' chided Rose.

His scowl deepened. 'She's a fragile creature and in the hands  
of the Head of the Alpha Brigade. You want me to calm down?'

'Let me do what I can. Go do your part and talk to Zoicite. Do  
not give him the earring, not until I say so. He can't be allowed to  
interfere or else Kunzite will know that you disobeyed his orders.'  
Rose gently shoved Endymion in the direction of the door and he left,  
his worry still clearly buzzing in his aura.

'Kal,' poked Rose. 'Need your help...'

* * *

Zoicite looked inpatiently at the cellular sample through his  
glasses. The DNA structure, clearly visible through the glasses, was  
not reacting to the chemicals as he hoped. Damn, another failure. 

Someone was at the laboratory door. "Enter," Zoicite mumbled,  
his attention still on the samples before him. "Who is it?"

"Me," came a deep voiced reply. Endymion looked at the man  
before him, who still hadn't looked up from his experiment. Endymion  
felt a flash of irritation. The doctor's soulmate had just been  
captured but Zoicite hadn't felt a thing. Surely, he should have known  
something was wrong. His fist clenched in his pocket, the silver  
earring digging into his skin before he realized what he was doing and  
relaxed his grip.

The door opened behind them, and Endymion turned to see who  
had entered. Surprise shook him. It was Kalkia, out of her room for  
the first time in weeks. 'What are you doing here,' he asked.

'Making sure you don't fuck things up,' came her reply. 'Rose  
wants me to ensure things go well on this end while she works to keep  
Ami from feeling too much pain.' She paused and wrinkled her nose as  
she walked up to Zoicite. 'That, and I'm pretty sure that she's afraid  
I'm going to kill myself.' Kalkia was obviously trying to brush off  
the fact she was still mourning Sephiroth's death. When she finally  
got Zoicite's attention, he wasn't pleased with her.

"What do you want?"

"Kunzite's afraid I'm not working right," she said simply. "He  
wants you to make sure I'm still being fucked over by the Urge. I  
offered to roll it through him, but he declined."

Zoicite rolled his eyes. "That can wait. I'm busy."

"Fine, I'll just roll it through you then. I don't plan on  
spending my afternoon waiting, Zoi. Whatever the hell you're doing can  
take second place to me. Then I want you to look over Endymion. He  
just came back from a battle, you know. Fought Omega and everything."  
She raised an eyebrow when she saw the doctor stiffen at the mention  
of the battle. Kalkia became even more curious when she noticed that  
his hands were trembling slightly. 'Oh shit. Rose! He can feel  
whatever it is that bitch is doing. He doesn't know it yet, but it  
won't be long until he does!'

"Kalkia--"

"Don't tempt me, Zoi. I haven't had sex in nearly a month. It  
would be a thrill to use the Urge on any man right now."

Rose sighed. Never send people ruled by emotion to make a  
distraction. It would have been easier had she gone herself but  
working at this distance from Ami, making sure to go undetected, and  
moving her physical body around was getting a little too complicated  
for her minute strength. 'Just don't mention anything about the battle  
for awhile. It's taking me a little longer to get Ami to accept that  
I'm trying to help her. I'll do a simple cloak on Zoicite right now,  
but it won't hold if you two keep reminding him.'

Rose's task was made easier by the fact that Zoicite's anger  
was being raised by Kalkia's remark. "Don't tempt me, Doctor. I'd  
pump you so full of drugs, you won't want to have sex for a year,"  
sniped Zoicite. "And we all know you wouldn't like that." Zoicite  
grabbed a medical scanner and turned to face Endymion. "Let's get this  
little visit over with, as soon as possible."

Kalkia just smiled when his back was turned and winked at  
Endymion. She wondered if Zoicite would realize that it was she that  
should be checking Endymion, since technically she had designed and  
created him. But that really was no important matter. Instead she  
leaned back on the desk and waited in silence for Zoicite to finish  
checking Endymion. 'You know,' she said conversationally to her  
friend. 'Kunzite didn't give me an order not to tell Zoi.'

'He'd kill you and you know it.' Rose warned. Kalkia gave a  
mental snort.

'He could try. It'd be hard for him to even touch me if I  
didn't want him to. You forget how good my telekinesis is, Rose.' She  
closed her eyes as if she was suddenly tired. 'It'd be torture for him  
to know where Ami was. I think he'd actually cry.' Sephiroth's death  
had obviously affected her more than she would care to admit. 'I'd  
like to see that.'

POUND, POUND, POUND.

'What was that,' asked Endymion, even as he stayed still for  
Zoicite's scans.

'My head, meeting my desk,' Rose replied, dryly. 'Kal, behave,  
or I'll ask Jonathon to drag you out of that room, kicking and  
screaming. You can harass Zoicite all you want about other stuff, you  
just can't mention anything about Ami. I'm asking this as a personal  
favor.' She went to her personal connection with Endymion. 'You have  
to be the reserved one here. I expected another 15 minutes and...  
and...Ami's body will soon pass the threshold. Just another few  
minutes and Kunzite and the others will get Zoicite.'

'I hate it when she asks personal favors' Kalkia grumbled,  
mostly to herself. 'I always give in.' She mentally sniffed at Rose  
and crossed her arms over her chest. 'Is it really only fifteen  
minutes? I thought Ami would last longer than that.'

'She isn't broken, Kal,' Rose replied sadly. 'Her body won't  
be able to take more though. Endy, when Kunzite comes, give him the  
earring before he has a chance to explain what's going on.'

'And you accuse me of being theatrical,' Kalkia grumbled childishly.

'What can I say,' sent Rose. 'I love drama and I love  
manipulating people to do what I want.' There came a small laugh  
before the link was closed.

"I can see that your abilities are coming along nicely," said  
Zoicite. "I might not have been directly involved in the project, but  
you've turned out just fine. Any of the damage sustained at the battle  
has obviously already healed completely. Mental complexity is quite  
excellent." Zoicite gave a small satisfactory smile. The scientist in  
him was definitely pleased with the scientific achievement before him.

"Why were you not involved with the project," Endymion asked.  
Better to stick with innocuous questions.

Zoicite looked somewhat surprised by the question. "I'm a  
general in the Inner Circle as well as head of Alpha's medical and  
research department. I didn't really have the time to spare. Besides,  
Skye and Nakazaki were better suited to chair the project. If I didn't  
find something to keep them occupied, they probably would have ended  
up in Antarctica, er, Alpha Zero. Well," he jerked his head in  
Kalkia's direction, "this one would have, anyway." Cutting off any  
remarks Kalkia could have made, Zoicite looked at the redhead. "You've  
lost some weight, being locked up in your quarters all this time. I'll  
have to change the dosage," he made some adjustments before jamming  
the instrument into Kalkia's arm.

"You really should let go of him," Zoicite said, a touch of  
concern in his voice, before he returned to his normal self. "It takes  
me away from my lab, having to go to your quarters all this time to  
make sure you get your drugs."

Kalkia looked at him for a moment, not letting any of her true  
feelings show. Instead she winced at his lack of bedside manner and  
gave a shadow of her normal teasing smirk. "And miss the opportunity  
to piss you off? Never." She wrinkled her nose and then continued.  
"Besides, you always told me I was too fat anyway, remember? I thought  
you'd be impressed that I managed to take off those last few pounds."

Endymion blinked and immediately responded to her statement.  
He still hadn't caught onto when Kalkia or Rose fished for compliments  
from the men they worked with. Rose didn't do it quite so much, but  
still, Endymion always jumped to their defense. "You weren't ever fat,  
Kalkia," he said immediately. Both she and Zoicite blinked before  
sharing a laugh at his naivety.

Then she shuddered as the drug started to take effect. She  
hissed in her air and glared at him. "I thought you said you lowered  
it." Zoicite shrugged.

"I did, but you'll always have a reaction. Besides, the last  
thing you need is sex. And I'd rather not the Urge be on your mind at  
all while you...put the weight back on." The male doctor almost  
continued when the doors opened without announcement. Both Nephlite  
and Jedeite were with Kunzite as he came in. Endymion quickly took the  
opportunity to give Zoicite the earring before Kunzite could stop him.

"She said you'd know what it meant."

Confused, Zoicite looked from Endymion, the lab's latest  
inhabitants, Kalkia, and finally, the object in his hand. It took him  
a moment before he realized what he was staring at. "Where did you get  
this?"

"Endymion, Kalkia," Kunzite ordered. "Leave, NOW!"

The two left without incident, remarkably. Nephlite, Jedeite  
and Kunzite were too busy trying to avoid Zoicite's gaze while Zoicite  
deperately tried to get some answer. "What the fuck is the meaning of  
this?" Terror began to tear at his heart, icy lances of pain running  
through his veins.

Jedeite began the unappealing task before them. "Zoicite, you  
might want to sit down for-"

"JUST TELL ME WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON!!"

"She was captured in the last battle, Zoi," began Kunzite, his  
voice still with its usual gruffness. "We thought it best not to let  
you know, in case you tried to interfere."

Zoicite's mouth compressed to a thin line, but he said nothing.

Nephlite spoke up, hoping to soften the blow somewhat. "She's  
been interrogated by Esmeraude, but she hasn't given up a single piece  
of intelligence. She's going to need some medical help and we...we..."

Kunzite frowned and his green eyes wavered for a moment. "We  
thought that you might want to be the one to treat her. Metallia has  
given us orders that we try to keep her alive for just awhile longer."

"Why me?" he finally asked. "There are hundreds of doctors in  
this building. I'm not the only one who can treat her." He spoke  
through clenched teeth as he tried to ignore the pain that was going  
through the palm of his hand. The earring was impossible to crush, but  
he was doing his best to attempt it.

"You're the best and you know her better than anyone else  
here." Kunzite met his eyes squarely. "We need her alive, Zoicite."

"Fuck that. I was promised she wasn't to be hurt. Metallia  
promised me that no matter what she did, that her death would be quick  
and that she would suffer no pain from Alpha. Now you're telling me  
she's been in Esmerade's hands for what, the past hour?" Blood started  
to trickle between his fingers.

"It's been over five years, Zoi," Nephlite said quietly. "We  
all know that promise is worth shit now. Especially considering who  
the girls are."

"Where is she?" Zoicite demanded flatly after several tense  
seconds of just waiting. "How long does she have if I don't do  
anything?"

"She's in the medical bay at Alpha Prime," replied Jedeite.  
"I've asked Rosebud to take care of her for the moment. But Ami does  
not have that much time. No care is being given to her until you  
decide what to you. The decision is yours, Zoicite. If you don't work  
on her, Metallia will probably order her healed just enough to endure  
more of Esmeraude's interrogation. You're the only one who could  
possibly ease some of her pain right now." He seemed haunted. "You  
know what Esmeraude is like. Ami is going to need some mental and  
emotional healing at the moment."

"Come on," ordered Kunzite. "Let Zoicite make his own decision  
right now. We have some other things to take care of." The trio moved  
to leave the room. Kunzite paused. "If you happen to fail in keeping  
Ami alive, Zoi, I'll understand. Esmeraude always did go a little too  
far in her sessions, Metallia knows that." The door opened and in  
seconds, Zoicite was alone once more in his laboratory.

He screamed in frustration, kicking and denting a medical bed  
before leaning heavily on his arms, head bowed.

Medical Center, Alpha Prime

Rose gently held one of Ami's broken hands and used her other  
hand to smooth some of the small woman's blue hair from her face. She  
had had time to cover Ami's body with a warming sheet, preserving both  
Ami's modesty and fading body warmth. "Shhh," Rose soothed, as Ami  
tried to speak.

'Don't speak.'

Weakly, Ami replied, 'Thank you, for helping me back there. If  
you hadn't, I don't know what would have happened to me.'

With a sad smile, Rose's eyes darkened just a bit as a golden  
glow went from her body to Ami's. 'No need to thank me, because  
nothing happened. By some miracle, you survived Esmeraude, all on your  
own.' Over Ami's protests, Rose gently altered the woman's memories.  
"You need to hold on, Ami. He's coming, I know he is."

The blue-haired woman's eyelids fluttered tiredly. 'I want to  
sleep, just to stop feeling the pain.'

The door slid open with a hiss. Zoicite stomped quickly to the  
instrument table and began to pick some things up. "Rose, get the  
painkillers, now. And hand me the sanitation device so I can start my  
work." His green eyes never did quite register what, rather, who was  
lying on the bed in front of him.

Ami tensed when she heard his voice but was still unable to  
open her eyes and see him. Rose just did exactly as Zoicite ordered  
until he overturned one of the larger pieces of equipment and sent it  
crashing to the ground. It didn't fall anywhere near his patient, but  
it was clear that this behavior was surprising for him. Finally, Ami  
managed to speak, healed enough for that at least.

"You always did hate it when things were disorganized," she  
whispered. He tensed at the sound of her voice and then shot Rose a  
look. It was a silent plea for her to leave them alone. With a look of  
sympathy, the raven haired doctor did as he asked. "Zoi..."

"Don't," he said, his back to where she lay. He gave a  
self-deprecating snort, "I'm just fixing you up so you can go back in  
there."

"You're still not a very good liar." Her voice was hoarse and  
after she spoke, the small women began to cough in gut wrenching  
spasms.

Quickly, Zoicite grabbed another instrument and injected Ami  
with a drug to help calm her muscles, hopefully helping to ease her  
coughs. "It doesn't matter why I'm fixing you up. There is only one  
way for you to live and that's to give up the information."

Ami gave a small chuckle, then grimaced at the pain it caused  
her. She took small, shallow breaths until the drugs began to kick in.  
"There is no way for me to get out of this alive. Even if I told them  
everything they wanted to know, I'd still be killed as a traitor to  
Alpha in the end. So, the only choice is to die now or die later.  
Frankly, I'd choose now." She smiled self-mockingly. "Of course, it  
doesn't seem like I have much of a choice right now, do I?"

There was no answer. "Why did you leave, Zoicite? And this  
time, don't lie to me." She directed her statements to his back, since  
he still would not face her.

He stiffened next to her. "I told you, Mizuno. I got offered a  
post in the Inner Circle and wanted to leave my old life behind."

"I asked you not to lie to me," Ami said, anger making her  
voice a little stronger.

He whirled to look at Ami, his pale green eyes flashing  
dangerously. "Because, she threatened your life! She threatened the  
lives of everyone that I cared about unless I joined her. That's why I  
left. Yes, I was tempted by the position, but I never wanted to leave  
you. It wasn't until she threatened us that we actually considered and  
agreed to her contract from hell." He threw another large piece of  
equipment into the far bulkhead in frustration.

She curled in on herself as much as she could with her pain.  
His theatrics were starting to scare her just a little. Even at his  
most passionate, he was never this violent. "Why didn't you just say  
so at the time?" she whispered. "I could have--"

"No. You couldn't have saved me, Miz--Ami. I had made my  
choice. And as far as I'm concerned it was the right one. Until today,  
you were still alive." Finally he turned to looked down at her, to  
meet her eyes. His own were still the pale, genetically enhanced  
green, but they held a hint of softness in their depths. "You're not  
going to survive this, Blue."

"I know." She tentatively reached out to touch the back of his  
hand. He pulled away at the first contact and then held it gently. And  
it was he who intertwined their fingers. "I never stopped loving you,"  
she said quietly.

"Endymion gave me the earring. I know that now. You should go  
to sleep, Blue."

"Will I wake up?" Silent tears were running down her cheeks  
and she was once again timid and very afraid.

"No, I won't let Esmeraude hurt you again, Blue. You just fall  
asleep and never feel any pain again." He readied the dosage making  
double sure that it was lethal enough to ensure that she would never  
feel a thing, his hands trembling the entire time. He returned and  
held her hand with one hand, the syringe in the other.

"Won't you get in trouble?" Even near the end, she didn't want  
him hurt because of her. More tears slipped from her eyes.

He gaze her a small, sad smile. "Kunzite and the others will  
help cover my ass, so don't worry, Blue." Tears began to form, but he  
tried to blink them away. "I will always love you, Blue."

She gripped his hand tightly. "Stay with me, please. Stay with  
me, until...until I fall asleep?"

Zoicite brushed a tender kiss on Ami's bruised forehead, his  
cloud of honey colored hair brushing and tickling Ami's cheek. She  
sighed and smiled at him. "I'll be by your side, love, until the end  
of time and beyond." He slowly pierced her skin with the needle and  
pushed the plunger down. Tossing the needle to the side, he used his  
now free hand to brush away the tears and cup her cheek.

She weakly tugged at his hand to make him come closer to her.  
She managed to give him a sweet and tender kiss before falling back on  
the medical bed. "I love you, Zoi," she whispered. "I'm so tired..."  
Her eyes closed and she relaxed even more. He picked her up and  
cradled her gently to his chest. He also kept her tightly wrapped in  
the sheet, knowing that even in death she would want to be modest.

When at last her body was cold and his tears were shed, he  
went to the door, still carrying her. Outside, all of his friends and  
commrades were waiting. "I was unable to save Ami Mizuno," he said  
clearly, proud that his voice didn't quiver. "Nor was I able to find  
any further information. Metallia will have to be content with knowing  
that the Resistance has lost their brightest mind."

Then he turned to go to the morgue. There he would burn her  
body and when it was ash, scatter it on the wind.


	13. Chapter Twelve

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon is the property of Takeuchi Naoko and various  
other entities. Plot and original characters of Kalkia and Rose are  
the property of The Rose Society and Kayla Chavi.

Alpha's Omega  
Chapter Twelve - DRAFT  
By: Kayla Chavi and The Rose Society  
Rating: R

* * *

Omega Cell Headquarters, Alphe One Enclave

Minako looked at the data link in front of her and just stared  
at it blankly. When Serenity and the others had returned, it was  
decided that a rescue operation would get underway as soon as it could  
be managed. Now, their hasty planning was for naught. Ami had died  
within two hours of being captured.

The captain of the cell slumped in her seat and wished with  
all of her might that she didn't have to go deliver this news. She  
wished that it wasn't true. Hell, she even wished that it was all a  
dream and that any second she would wake up with Kunzite next to her.  
Before that thought could continue any further, she shook her head to  
clear it and stood.

She went over to one of the consoles and prepared to make a  
small announcement. With trembling fingers she pressed the intercom  
button and took a deep breath. "Members of the Omega Cell, I regret to  
inform you that Dr. Ami Mizuno has been taken, tortured, and killed by  
the enemy. She was loved by all and will be sorely missed." She  
quickly cut the transmission before she started to cry.

* * *

Ryo sat in his quarters, relishing the complete darkness.  
There was no one else in there, no one to witness his tears, his pain.  
He had loved Ami Mizuno like no one else in his life. But he had  
always known that his love was not returned. Her soulmate was a  
general in the Inner Circle, a man who had betrayed her, left her  
alone and hurt, forgotten. When she joined the Resistance movement and  
came to Omega Cell to help on the Omega Project, Ryo had fallen hard  
and fast. She was so intelligent, shy, demure, kind, with an  
underlying strength. She had been so friendly and warm, one of the few  
people who bothered trying to get through his own overpowering social  
anxiety. 

He picked up the bottle, savoring the cold glass in his hand.  
Alcohol was always best from a bottle, especially if one was looking  
to get drunk fast. He tilted back his head and took a deep swig of it.  
One thing about the latest technological advances, they really helped  
out a drunk. The seemingly ordinary glass was kept at a precise  
temperature and automatically refilled itself. Ryo was glad for it; he  
didn't think he could get to the food dispenser without crashing into  
something.

The courtesy bell rang for his quarters; someone was asking to  
come in. Paying no attention, he took another burning gulp of alcohol.  
Hmm, did he always have ...seven? ...three? fingers on a hand? Some  
how...that didn't seem quite right. His brow furrowed. Aw hell, who  
cared, as long as he could keep holding his bottle.

There was another incessant beep. "Fuck off, wanker," he  
shouted, before tossing a nearby object at the door.

Taiki ducked a flying object as he entered the quarters. It  
stank to high heaven in there. "What the hell are you doing, Ryo?"

"Having a drink," he grumped with a slurred voice. "I said  
fuck off."

Taiki wrinkled his nose as he looked at the filthy quarters.  
"I'll do that later," he said goodnaturedly. "Maybe even get Yaten to  
join me."

Ryo just looked at Taiki like he was an insane pervert.  
However, that thought didn't get too far as Taiki began to pile all  
his dirty clothes in one corner so they could be cleaned later. He  
also went and straightened the rest of his apartment. After the  
hermaphrodite had finish that task, he went and knelt next to Ryo's  
chair and looked at him seriously.

"Ami wouldn't want to see you like this."

"Ami's dead," Ryo growled and took another swig from his  
magical, refilling bottle.

"You're destroying her memory by doing this. She spent too  
much time trying to get you out of this apartment that she would see  
this," he gestured to the room, "as failure. And Ami always did hate  
failure."

"Stop trying to psychoanalyze me, Tai. I don't want to be  
helped right now. I want to be alone." He tried to poke one of the  
Taiki he saw in front of him with one of his...five fingers, but oddly  
enough, he kind of tilted right through Taiki and landed on his side  
on the slanted floor. Funny, he didn't remember things moving around  
this much on a daily basis.

Taking the bottle from Ryo, Taiki took a swig of the bottle  
himself, then made a face. "How can you drink this stuff? It tastes  
horrible."

Ryo made a lunge for the bottle. "Get your own, will ya? I'm  
trying to drink to the memory of a great," hiccup, "lady. Someone who  
deserved a damn sight better than a death at the hands of a crazy  
psycho-bitch." His hands were still empty. Damn.

Taiki's face softened with shared sorrow. "I loved her too.  
She was too damned vulnerable to be with a rebellion force. She should  
have lived out in the sunlight, under blue skies, with a husband who  
worshipped the ground she walked on and little children to tuck in at  
night. She never should have been here, hiding in the shadows, fighing  
a cause against impossible odds."

Hot tears began to spill from Ryo's eyes once more. "Shut up,  
just shut the fuck up." Sobs began to wrack his body, against his  
will. He wished he could rip out his traitorous lungs at this moment.

Taiki slung an arm around Ryo's shoulders and whacked him a  
few times in an uncomfortable gesture of sympathy. They were both two  
people not used to physical contact with others, but somehow, a shared  
sorrow over unrequited love brought them together. "Just let it all  
out, Ryo, let it all out," whispered Taiki as his own tears seared  
twin tracks down his cheeks.

* * *

He had trashed his laboratory after he scattered her ashes. He  
asked that he be left alone for that one task and the others had  
respected his wishes in that. Too bad they didn't respect his desire  
to be left alone as he tore apart his quarters. 

Another unidentified object flew at her head. "He has to stop  
sometime, you know," said Rose, even as she ducked.

Nephlite shook his head. "I don't think he will, not until all  
of Alpha One is destroyed."

"Who knew he was this damn strong," asked Jedeite.

"I did," Kalkia said offhandedly. She simply created a small  
bubble around herself that didn't allow any of the thrown objects to  
make contact with her. Nephlite shot a look at the redhead and then  
looked back at where Zoicite was dismantling his bed.

"This is getting him nowhere," Kunzite commented from where he  
stood against the door. "If you notice, I didn't rip anything apart  
with Minako died."

Jedeite rolled his eyes. "No, you just screwed every blonde  
with long legs in the entire complex. Let him mourn, Kunzite."

The silver haired general was about to retort when Kalkia  
grumbled something under her breath and went over to Zoicite. She  
stopped him with a touch to the back of his hand and looked at him  
with more gentleness than she had shown anyone in a very long time.  
Cupping his cheek she kissed him once on the mouth. The doctor was so  
stunned that when she pulled away, he just gaped at her. Kalkia then  
kissed his cheek and with a light touch to his shoulders, made him sit  
down.

"Let her go," she murmured. A warmth went through the room and  
Zoicite collasped back on the remains on the bed, completely  
exhausted. Moments later, Kalkia winced and shuddered a few times  
before turning to leave the room.

"What did you do?" Nephlite asked in surprise.

"I used the Urge," she said through painfully clenched teeth.  
"I have more control over it than any of you can guess. And it can do  
more than you can ever dream of."

Watching her friend depart, Rose shook her head. Kalkia was  
getting sloppy, with all these hints as to her greater hidden powers.  
Then again, ever since Sephiroth died, Rose could feel that Kalkia  
didn't care that much anymore. Kalkia didn't even respond too much to  
Jonathon anymore. She did some manipulations and the generals thought  
that Kalkia had given Zoicite a sedative.

"Come on, let's go. He'll be out for awhile," said Kunzite. He  
grabbed Rose's arm. "You're coming with me." The other two generals  
frowned as Kunzite half-dragged Rose out of there.

"He hates himself for being in some way responsible for  
Zoicite's pain. And after Minako's death, and I think, hidden deep  
within him, Kalkia's pain over Sephiroth, this was just a little too  
much," Nephlite reflected as he tossed a blanket over Zoicite's  
sleeping form.

"So, he's going to hurt someone else to make himself feel  
better," Jedeite snorted as he made his way through the debris field.  
He waited until Nephlite exited the room as well.

"Maybe. Maybe he just wants to be near someone who still cares  
about him, especially when he's hurting so much." Nephlite looked over  
his shoulder at Zoicite's closed door.

Jedeite shook his head. "Let's go get a drink. It's been  
awhile since I've gotten nice and drunk."

Nephlite raised an eyebrow. "You feeling down too?"

"Yeah, and nothing beats that except getting into a nice  
drunken brawl."

Nephlite chuckled wryly. "Battle simulations and booze. Sounds  
good. I'm game." The pair headed off to the eastern wing, looking  
forward to some good old-fashioned destruction.

Omega Cell Headquarters

"Because of our failure with the Eye of the Pheonix and the  
loss of Ami Mizuno, we have been set back tremendously." Minako looked  
at every one of her officers and gave a good impression of being  
detached from the situation. Rei's eyes were still red from all of her  
tears and Makoto still wasn't eating. Demando hadn't come to the  
briefing, the loss of his coworker too immense and raw. Ryo had  
managed to show up sober, but he still had the stench of alcohol on  
him. Haruka and Michiru were as composed as ever, but then again, they  
hadn't been as close to the small doctor. Even Serenity seemed  
subdued. Unlike the others, she didn't know how to mourn for the loss  
of a friend and it set her apart.

It reminded everyone that she was a weapon and not truly  
human.

"I am open to suggestions," Minako said after a tense silence.

"I suggest a blow to Alpha equal, if not greater, than the one  
they gave us," came Serenity's low voice. "Death and the Guardian of  
Time, if they can get close enough to one of the doctors or generals,  
or maybe get me into the Alpha facilit--"

"Un-fucking-believable! Do you even hear yourself," asked Ryo.

Serenity narrowed her eyes. "What is your problem, Doctor?"

"You! This! You think you can just waltz in there without  
being detected? You think that either Hotaru or Setsuna can even get  
through the front door of Alpha Headquarters without being killed on  
the spot? Hell, why do you even think we would risk another one of our  
members to help you? YOU'RE supposed to be Omega, the bringer of hope  
and the end of Alpha. You're supposed to be the ultimate weapon, the  
best we would have against Alpha and all its agents. Instead," he spat  
onto the floor, "you're a failure, a complete and utter failure."

Serenity tilted her head and was silent for several minutes.  
"If you wish me to destroy the world, then I am quite capable of that.  
I was under the impression that it would be more beneficial for there  
to be survivors. I am the ultimate weapon, Doctor. But ultimate  
weapons have a tendency to be uncontrollable. I am suggesting a  
controlled strike, not the end of the world."

Minako looked at the young blonde and then nodded. It seemed  
that even though Serenity was having problems with her conscience, she  
had taken to heart their desire for there not to be mass casualties.  
When Ryo looked like he was about to start up again, Minako cut him  
off. "You've made your feelings clear, Ryo. Unless you have another  
suggestion for the mission, I will ask you to refrain from attacking  
Omega."

Again the room was silent. Finally Rei spoke up. "As far as we  
know, Death hasn't been detected by either Rose or Metallia. Unlike  
Setsuna, who's been compromised, Death hasn't. Perhaps if we get in  
touch with Hotaru, she'll have a suggestion for us. At the very least,  
she'll tell us if what we plan is possible or not."

'I don't quite think so.'

All in the room tensed. "You again," said Michiru.

Rose's image nodded. 'I would suggest another course of action  
for your group.'

"Of course you would," growled Michiru. "YOU have a vested  
interest in our failure."

'Actually, not true. But making you believe me, that would be  
a waste of time and effort. I've been monitoring you all quite closely  
and anything that might jeopardize those that I love...well, it's my  
job to see to it that it doesn't occur. I would suggest you all put  
your efforts into bringing about Omega. You try to kill Kalkia, and,'  
the image's eyes narrowed, 'I'll make you wish you never even  
conceived of the idea.' The image disappeared.

There was a moment of silence. "She does have a point," Minako  
said. "They aren't responsible for what happened." Michiru made a  
gagging noise and made to interrupt, but Minako cut her off. "No, they  
are pawns in this, just like all of us are. Even the generals are just  
tools of Metallia. We have to concentrate on our mission; they'll, on  
theirs. Our next step will be getting another artifact. That will be  
a significant enough coup against Alpha, and our best logical move.  
Any attempts at revenge will just be a strategic mistake, no matter  
how much our emotions might push us to desire it. Hatred won't get us  
anywhere."

"Ami was always one for logic and planning," Makoto said  
softly. In a louder voice, "We need to plan for the next artifact. We  
need to plan and work towards Omega. Keep our eye on the goal. Minako  
is right."

"And find a way that Rose can't stick her ass in our business  
anymore," Haruka added calmly. "I'm getting tired of her being the one  
who dictates who we can and cannot kill." She looked over at Serenity  
and pondered something for a minute. "While you are quite the  
impressive, destructive weapon, Sere, do you think you might be able  
to work on shielding us from her?"

Omega bit her lower lip and thought about it for several  
moments before nodding. "I'll do my best. I would really like to find  
a way to get the Eye of the Pheonix. Ami said that if I absorbed it,  
that it would help with my mental control. At least, that's what she  
thought, given the documents we researched on it."

Minako nodded and once more felt anger rise in her that they  
hadn't been able to get the artifact. "And practice your  
teleportation. The next time we go in for an artifact, I want to be  
able to get in and out without them even knowing."

"What about Serenity's connection to Endymion?" Rei asked and  
couldn't help but notice the way Serenity winced at his name. "Is  
there anything we can do to weaken that?"

"Not unless Omega improves her mental control," said Ryo. He  
seemed lost in thought. "Demando has said that Omega and Alpha would  
always be connected. Since Alpha has Nakazaki training him, his  
ability to shield is far superior to Serenity's. That's why we never  
get a hit off of him while he probably has a pretty good look into  
Omega's mind. As for the rest of us, we won't be able to block out  
Nakazaki, only Omega can, once she learns how."

"Do what you can, Ryo. Serenity is going to be a security risk  
unless we can dam up her leak in information." Minako looked at  
Serenity. "Sere, you need to leave while we plan. We can't have you  
knowing what we're going to do beforehand." She looked around the  
room. "I want all the best mental warriors to gather in the lab and  
teach all they can to Serenity. Be ready to move in the next few days.  
Dismissed, those of you who need to leave." Serenity, Ryo, Rei, Luna,  
Artemis, and a few others left.

When the door closed, Minako looked at her remaining people.  
"Haruka, Michiru, Mako? Let's come up with a plan."

Alpha Headquarters

Endymion stepped into the meeting room right after the two  
doctors. They sat at their respective seats, waiting for Kunzite to  
begin the briefing.

"After what happened with the attempt on the Eye of the  
Phoenix," Kunzite looked over briefly at Zoicite, "we're going to step  
up plans for a final showdown. Metallia is tiring of all the break-ins  
at Alpha facilities. She has ordered that Project Alpha absorb the Eye  
and the Krystal Moonlight artifacts." He opened two large cherrywood  
boxes, revealing velvet interiors and two large gems. One was the Eye  
and the other resembled a large diamond. It was the Krystal Moonlight.

Zoicite looked at Endymion carefully. "Can you handle taking  
two artifacts at such close intervals?" His face was etched in harsh  
lines and it was really time for him to be resting, but he had  
insisted in being included in all mission-related briefings.

Before he could answer, Kalkia did it for him. "It's going to  
be one hell of a shock to his system and he might be useless for a few  
days. If it becomes too big of a problem he can use me as the physical  
shunt of the over draft and Rose as his mental. Although, by now he's  
surpassed her."

Kunzite blinked at her, clearly surprised that she offered the  
information. However, it was Nephlite that responded. "Thank you,  
Endymion."

Kalkia had enough grace to blush and Endymion just smiled  
inwardly. It was a comforting sight for him to see her so active.  
After Ami's death, she had gone back to the darkness of her quarters  
and had to be ordered here. "What she said," he said when Kunzite  
looked at him for clarification.

"Although, quite honestly, I doubt he'll have a problem,"  
offered Rose. "He's surpassed most of our expectations and this really  
shouldn't be a problem for him."

Kunzite nodded. "Fine. Once assimilation is complete, we'll  
leave on a new mission. The Midnight Sky is the only artifact that has  
never been completely unearthed. It's been located somewhere near the  
North Pole, under quite a few tons of ice and rock, in one of the  
ancient underground caves there. With Endymion's boosted power, we can  
probably teleport into one of the caves and have him sense the power  
of the artifact, but we'll have to use conventional means to get to  
the area. There is just too much interference for teleportation  
devices. In addition, the intense temperatures and pressure precludes  
non-augmented personnel from entering."

"As for the last artifact, the Heart of the Forest is being  
transported to Alpha Prime from its secure location," said Jedeite.  
"Hopefully, it will reach Alpha Prime's Headquarters by the end of the  
week. It will be in a heavily guarded convoy once it leaves Oceana One  
and reaches land."

Nephlite had the last word. "This mission will hopefully be  
the last. Once all artifacts are assembled and assimilated, Metallia  
has ordered that we prepare for a final battle. Alpha versus the  
rebels, with the artifacts that Endymion has absorbed as bait. All of  
us are to report to Alpha Prime so that we can begin the mission. Any  
questions?"

No one said anything. Kunzite nodded in approval. "Let's move  
then. Everyone to the teleportation chamber, with all supplies that  
will be needed, in an hour. Dismissed."

As everyone was filing out, talking quietly amongst  
themselves, Kunzite said, "Kalkia, wait a moment."

Surprised at actually hearing her name from this general, she  
did as she was asked without any argument. Minutes passed as neither  
of them spoke. Kalkia didn't know why Kunzite wasn't just telling her  
what he stopped her here for. Finally, the door opened. Once more she  
was surprised when Esmerade entered the room, a smirk on her lips. The  
Enforcer didn't say a word to Kalkia, instead opting to slowly look  
her over with lustfilled eyes. Kunzite waited for the door to close  
before speaking again.

"Metallia has ordered me to hand you over to Esmerade--"

"What?" Kalkia's voice caught on the word, betraying not only  
her astonishment, but a trace amount of fear. He had put her so  
offguard that she didn't bother to hide the trace amount of fear that  
went through her. She swallowed the lump in her throat. "Kunzite, I  
haven't done anything wrong. I haven't argued with anyone. I haven't  
even played around with the Urge. Why are you--"

"I did not request this, Kalkia," he didn't look away from her  
and his eyes were still the same cold green. "But your work load has  
decreased since the Enclave Six Incident."

"I lost my fucking lifemate, Kuznite! I lost probably the best  
friend I have ever had. Your production slowed after I killed Minako  
and I didn't see you in Esmeraude's playroom."

"This isn't up for debate," he snapped. "These orders come  
directly from Metallia herself."

"Fine, we won't debate it. I won't go!" Her voice was just as  
clipped and short. "I won't go in there. Hell, I'll throw the Urge  
through the entire Enclave before I go in there."

"You don't have the power to do that," he said impatiently.

"Are you willing to bet on that?" Kalkia glared at him  
hatefully and prepared to at least shove it through both him and  
Esmeraude when she felt a light prick on the back of her neck. A  
second later she fell to the ground and was completely unconscious.  
Esmerade grinned, very pleased with herself. She leaned down to fondle  
the redhead but Kunzite grabbed her wrist to stop her.

"I don't know why Metallia is ordering this but I do know that  
if she is permanently damaged, I will kill you. Metallia's orders have  
allowed you to take her, not kill her."

The Enforcer raised an eyebrow and actually laughed at him.  
"You don't lie very well, Kunzy. If I didn't know you better, I'd say  
you were pretending to care for the Slut."

"Project Alpha is still dependent on her and I will need her  
functional if something goes wrong when he absorbs the other  
artifacts. If she is permanently damaged, I will kill you," he  
repeated. Esmeraude rolled her eyes and then signaled for two guards  
to pick up Kalkia's body and take her away.

"I think you're just disappointed that Metallia is going to  
let me fuck her before you get a chance to."

Esmerade was surprised when Kunzite let out a loud, booming  
laugh. He threw his head back, showing more amusement at her statement  
than he had in a very long time. "You really are a sick fuck,  
Esmeraude," he said after an attempt to stifle his laughter. She  
snorted and crossed her arms over her chest, put out at his mockery of  
her. Without another word, she turned and left.

Alone, Kunzite returned to his typical stoic state. He looked  
at the data pad in front of him and could only hope that both Rose and  
Endymion wouldn't notice the lack of the third member of their group.  
Hopefully, by this time, Endymion was in the middle of the  
assimilation process and both he and Rose were too preoccupied to feel  
that anything was amiss. Luckily, Esmeraude had disabled Kalkia fast  
enough to prevent any messages from leaking out. If either of them  
knew that Kalkia was in Esmeraude's hands, the Enclave Six Incident  
would like like a spark compared to what could happen.

Omega Cell Headquarters

Minako looked at her dwindled staff. "Ok, from what reports we  
have from the cell in Oceana One, there has been a flurry of activity  
near one of the Alpha sites. There are also reports that the port for  
Oceana One is experiencing a large build-up of Alpha troops, possibly  
for a convoy."

Looking at the maps, Makoto frowned. "Do you think that  
they're sending it to Alpha for assimilation?"

"There is no other reason for moving it from its secured  
location," replied Michiru.

"I concur." Haruka brought up some reports from rebel spies.

Michiru looked at her comm link. "There is a top-secret report  
from our observation posts. The entire Inner Circle will be at Alpha  
Prime." Frowning, Michiru tapped her index finger on the table. "What  
are they up to? If they were going to set a trap for us at Oceana One,  
shouldn't they be there?"

"Maybe they're protecting the artifacts or Alpha while he  
absorbs them. If that's the case, worst case scenario, the Oceana One  
artifact is the only one they still don't have. We HAVE to get that  
one," said Haruka.

"Then we have to strike before it reaches Alpha Prime. Better  
to strike while the Inner Circle is occupied with other duties," added  
Makoto.

Minako nodded. "We're looking at a scramble, people. Things  
are winding down to the last few seconds. Ready the cells and tell  
them to make preparations."

Alpha Prime

"Where is Kunzite and Kalkia," Rose asked as she kept one eye  
on Endymion's assimilation process.

Zoicite shrugged. "Who knows?"

"Who cares," added Jedeite. "If they're fighting about  
something, I'd rather they do it there, than here. They're one hell of  
a distraction some times."

Rose rolled her eyes and was about to make a mental jab at the  
blonde general, when Endymion interrupted her. "I just lost my  
connection with Serenity." He sounded incredibly annoyed. Working  
silently, he tried to reconnect himself with her. It had to be an  
accident. There was just no way that she could have learned how to  
block him without Ami. After several minutes of trying to establish  
another backdoor link with her mind, it eventally became a fruitless  
attempt.

'Stay out of my mind, Endymion.'

'Serenity?'

'Yes. I don't eavesdrop on your thoughts and you shouldn't be  
listening to mine. It's rude.' Then she cut off all communication with  
him. It was then that he realized he had several people looking at him  
expectantly. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair in irritation.

"She found my connection to her and cut it. I'll see if I can  
reestablish it after I absorb these two artifacts."

Nephlite frowned and looked over at Zoicite, almost to make  
sure that the other doctor wasn't going to attack him for his next  
statement. "I thought that since we had Mizuno, she shouldn't be able  
to progress like that. The Eye was the only artifact that progressed  
as the user progressed."

"It doesn't matter, in any case." Rose looked at Endymion. "If  
you do manage to secret a connection to her, I don't think that the  
Rebellion leaders will allow her to be privy to any vital information,  
not until it's too late, anyways. If they've already know about the  
link now, they won't chance it again." She paused to rub her temples.

"Are you alright," Endymion asked, concerned.

"I'm fine. I'm just tired after spending time with Kunzite,  
having Zoicite force the healing, and such. My headache should go  
away," Rose replied. She crinkled her nose. "Soon, hopefully."

Frowning, Jedeite looked at the time. "Hurry up and grab the  
two artifacts. We need to leave for the Arctic Circle as soon as  
possible. You can assimilate them in transport, after we teleport to  
the vehicle pick up point."

Picking up their supplies and gear, the five left. Rose  
crinkled her nose as they loaded onto the transport. Her headache was  
worse than it should have been and there were so many people around  
her at the moment that it was hard to get a lock on exactly what was  
the source of it. In the back of her head she felt like she should be  
worried about something, someone other than the mission but...

Shrugging, she dismissed it. Kunzite joined the group a few  
minutes later for final orders, then they were on their way for the  
North Pole.

Delta Cell, Alpha Prime

"Hey, Serenity, are you ready to go?" Makoto poked her head  
into the blonde's quarters and blinked in surprise. Serenity was  
sitting cross-legged in the air with her eyes closed and her hands  
lightly on her knees. Makoto watched in interest as small objects from  
around the room teleported into her hand whenever she raised it. A  
lamp. A pillow. A book. All came to her and then went back to their  
original location.

Serenity stopped a few moments later and smiled briefly at her  
fellow resistance member. "I can do it in battle simulations too," she  
said proudly. "It's easier this way, but I've practiced so if we get  
into a situation like last time, I can call the artifact to me and  
immediately absorb it."

The brunette smiled and couldn't help but be happy for the  
young woman. "Minako will be happy to know that."

"I was also able to get Endymion out of my head." Serenity  
began to get together the last things she needed for the mission. "I  
don't know about Nakazaki yet, but as far as Alpha Project is  
concerned, he's not there." She looked down at the floor but it wasn't  
quick enough. Makoto caught the painfilled glint in her blue eyes that  
told her it was killing something inside the blonde to have done that.

"I remember when Neph cut our link," Makoto said in a  
conversational tone. She too was repressing her own pain. "It doesn't  
stop hurting, Serenity. It never really does. But I know if he hadn't,  
then it would have been worse."

"How do you know?" Serenity's voice was quiet and unsure, like  
that of a child's. "How do you know that this pain is less than it  
could be?"

"Because." Makoto's emerald eyes darkened and glistened for a  
moment, but with a blink, they were as before. "With all the things  
that have happened over the intervening years, the decisions, the  
battles, the deaths, the hurt...to know the betrayal and pain that I  
have caused him first hand through our link, it would have killed me.  
He too. I know it in my heart that he would have felt the same. We  
would have ended up losing our ability to fight and end up dying from  
a stupid mistake." She shook her head. "It's easier this way, to be  
able to put our heart and soul into our respective causes without  
knowing and feeling what the other feels...Trust me, this is much  
easier."

Serenity nodded as she slowly understood what the brunette was  
saying. She swallowed her pain and forced a smile. "After...after the  
Enclave Six Incident I wished that there was no fight. That there was  
no Alpha and no Omega. That he and I could just be together without  
hate or death. But then," her voice caught on the word and she had to  
force the tears back. "Then I realized that if that were true, he and  
I wouldn't exist. Kind of ironic in a way."

Makoto was quiet for a moment. "I used to think the same  
thing," she said after a moment. "But if Alpha hadn't existed I would  
have never met Nephlite. It's incredibly rare for someone to be with  
their soulmate, Serenity. The world is too big and there are just too  
many people in it for it to be possible. Alpha brought us together,  
the school, the training, everything. My only regret was not saying  
goodbye."

She was about to say more, but Serenity's door beeped and  
Minako came in. She looked between the two girls. "Ready?" At their  
nods she turned to lead them out. "Let's do it."

North Pole

The large conveyance vehicle had landed somewhere near true  
magnetic north. With a thud, they had landed, the vehicle's  
stabilizers sorely tested by the gale-force winds ripping around them.

"Why isn't Kunzite and Kalkia with us?" Rose frowned and  
continued rubbing her temples. The painkiller from earlier hadn't been  
much help.

"I don't know," replied Jedeite. "I'm going to contact him."  
He pressed the booster activation button and began sending out a  
relayed, confidential mental message to Kunzite.

'Where are you?'

There was a pause, then came the reply, 'In the Alpha facility  
for Oceana One.'

'Aren't you joining us,' asked Zoicite. 'You're making us  
wait, Kunzite.'

'I'm not joining that mission.'

Nephlite frowned. 'We need you on this mission. All four of us  
have to be there to allow this to work.'

Kunzite sighed. 'Orders from Metallia. Not to be questioned. I  
am as completely in the dark as you guys are.' He shielded carefully  
his knowledge about Kalkia. Metallia's orders were for the head of  
the Inner Circle ONLY. 'All I know is that I'm being ordered to lead  
the team to protect the Heart of the Forest. You guys will lead the  
mission for the Midnight Sky. That's why Rose is with you. She'll act  
in my stead and help bind you to Endymion enough to siphon some of his  
power to reinforce your ties with the planet. That should get you guys  
through this. Dismissed.'

Shutting off the booster, Jedeite briefed the group on the new  
set of orders.

Nephlite frowned and shook his head in irritation. "I'd feel  
more comfortable doing this with both Kunzite and Kita," he said  
bluntly. "Her telekinesis is good enough to protect us from the wind."

"Not to mention she can keep us from freezing to death,"  
Zoicite grumbled irritably. Everyone looked at him oddly and he rolled  
his eyes. "With the right circumstances, she could make us..." he  
searched for a polite word and couldn't come up with one. "For lack of  
a better word, hot."

"Why aren't they here?" Endymion asked as the vehicle doors  
began to open.

Jedeite shrugged and looked annoyed. "Kunzite's in Oceana One.  
Kalkia is probably with him. Metallia's orders so arguing about it  
won't help." He looked pointedly at Rose, who looked ready to start  
something. Jed relayed the rest of the orders and then nodded to  
Nephlite to lead them out.

Immediately, a gust of wind threatened to knock them over.  
Rose grabbed ahold of Endymion's arm before she got lifted off her  
feet. After all the environmental damage that had occurred over the  
years, the weather near the polar regions were a lot harsher and  
unpredictable than before. Even though there were a lot of scientific  
efforts being put into repairing the damage, there was still a lot of  
work to be done.

As soon as possible, Nephlite, Jedeite, Zoicite, Rose and  
Endymion assembled in a circle, holding each others hands through  
their thick gloves. The suits covered everyone's face; it was like a  
circle of over-stuffed cloth dolls.

Endymion shut his eyes, concentrating on the task before him.  
He was to teleport everyone to an underground ice cave. From there,  
they would start tracking the signal. Even this far though, something  
was pulling at him. The two artifacts had tremendously improved his  
powers. He frowned.

'The artifact isn't in the ground,' he sent on a wide band, so  
that everyone could hear him.

'What do you mean,' Zoicite grumbled.

'It's not in the ice caves. The signal is here, yes, but...'  
Endymion tried to form words, but figured the idea would work better.

'What do you mean, it's in the lava?' Nephlite couldn't mask  
his disbelief. 'That defies logic, science, hell, everything.'

Zoicite thought a moment. 'Actually, that is possible, since  
the Midnight Sky and other artifacts aren't gems. They might look like  
it but are actually physical manifestations of power. So, it could  
survive the immense heat, pressure and magnetic forces.'

'But how the hell are we supposed to get it,' Jedeite asked.  
'I don't think we have the power, even augmented as we are and with  
our ties to the planet.'

'Endymion can do it,' Rose replied. 'His power is great enough  
to protect us.'

'Theoretically, yes, but...' Nephlite frowned. Gambling was  
not his favorite pasttime.

'Let's get going then. It's better than staying out here and  
freezing our asses off. Antarctica be damned, this is worse than even  
that post,' groused Zoicite.

All four men, using Rose as a center, tied their powers  
together. In a flash, they disappeared.

* * *

If there was one thing that Kunzite hated more than paperwork,  
it was the slow moving, practically indefensible, agravating  
management of a convoy. Even though this particular convoy was smaller  
than most, and less conspicuous, it still was too large of a target to  
miss for the Resistance. 

So, against all protocal, he made his office the small,  
cramped room right next to the artifact. It was the closest he could  
get to the room before the scientists had a fit and started screaming  
contamination. 'Where the hell did they find this stupid thing  
anyway?' he grumbled to himself. 'I'm tired of all the tantrums about  
ruining my health.'

It had appeared that the artifact was just as polluted as a  
great deal of the planet. The Heart of the Forest had been in such a  
hazardous pocket of earth, that no one had been able to come into  
physical contact with it. The only good thing it did was ensure that  
they'd have a little bit of a warning before the Resistance made an  
attempt to steal it.

Kunzite was going over some mundane report when he felt the  
faintest hint of an aura against his shields. He slowly smiled and  
stood before contancting the Captain of the Convoy. "Highten the  
security, Captain. We're about to have visitors."

* * *

This was intense. And freaky. VERY freaky. All around him,  
enveloping him, was lava. It was like he was swimming in it. Only,  
oddly enough, he wasn't bursting into flames or anything. Jedeite said  
the only thing that came to mind. "COOL!" 

Zoicite snorted. "'Cool' would not be the word I would use to  
described our present situation. 'Impossible,' 'illogical,' those, I  
think, fit the situation better."

Nephlite intervened before some petty bickering could begin.  
"How come we aren't boiling hot in these suits? Check that. How come  
I feel completely normal in an environment I've never been in? It's  
like I'm taking a walk in any sort of normal place, not floating in  
the lava of Earth's molten core."

Endymion smiled, proudly. "It's the power I've used to protect  
us in this environment. Basically, we can move, speak, and interact  
as if it were normal."

'Endy, we don't have too much time. Between the links for this  
mission and keeping Metallia ignorant of my true power level, I don't  
have the energy or mental capacity for much else.' Her brow crinkled  
some more. "We need to hurry. The pain is getting worse."

Nodding, Endymion looked around. "Your instruments won't help  
here, but if the generals would kindly use their powers to look for a  
high energy reading, it would speed things up. We could split our  
individual foci into different directions and hopefully we'll be able  
to find it without moving a muscle."

"Agreed," said Zoicite. With Rose in the center, the four men  
stood as if each a directional point of a compass and began to search.

* * *

Kunzite frowned from his observation post inside the large  
room where the artifact was being kept. He had made the Captain send  
him all reports directly and the general definitely did not like what  
he was seeing. It was definitely Omega and at least one other who had  
come to attempt to steal the jewel. He was almost annoyed by this  
silly endeavor from them. Even with the lack of technology surrounding  
the convoy vehicle, the toxicity of the air around the artifact would  
bring it all to a stop. Was their intellegance that bad? 

He was about to continue with his annoyed and frustrated  
thoughts when the door opened behind him. He briefly looked over and  
was surprised to see Esmerade standing there. He was under the  
impression she was supposed to be having her fun with Kalkia. However,  
at the moment, she looked most disgruntled and rather exhausted. He  
raised an eyebrow in question when she glanced over at him. It was a  
silent demand for an explanation. He hated surprises as a general  
rule. The Enforcer scowled.

"I had forgotten why I didn't actively pursue the Slut," she  
grumbled.

"She forced the Urge through you when she woke up." Kunzite  
was trying his hardest not to grin or be amused. "I bet she wasn't  
nice about it either."

Esmuerade snorted. "I thought she had to be touching you in  
order for it to work offensively."

"Not always," Kunzite chuckled and gave into the urge to  
smile. "Why do you think I avoid making that even an issue with her?  
Even Kalkia has her limits."

"I hope Metallia kills her," the greenhaired woman growled and  
then leaned over the console.

Kunzite just shrugged and continued to laugh under his breath  
as they made the final preparations. They were prepared for anything  
in this room. Anything and Everything. They had anticipated all  
contingencies.

Well, almost every contingency. They hadn't expected Serenity  
to just walk in.

* * *

The pain was blistering now. As the generals and Endymion  
remained fixated on the task at hand, Rose really had nothing to do.  
It wasn't as if she could help the search. It was something that was  
supposedly beyond her powers, especially if she were busy with being  
a centerstone. Didn't matter in any case. Her head hurt too much and  
she wasn't too keen doing anything except keeping her neurons from  
shorting out. 

She had been using her powers too much. That was probably the  
reason for the headache. With all the commotion and things coming to  
a head, Rose had been using powers at levels low enough to avoid  
detection, but still able to get the job done. It had strained her.  
Now, being so deep in the Earth's core, with so much interference  
messing with her powers, in addition to being a centerstone, she did  
not have the reserve strength to remain connected with those above.  
That did bother her. She felt strangely lost without hearing the noise  
of those crucial to the final battle.

Suddenly, Endymion's voice interupted Rose's thoughts. "I've  
found the Midnight Sky, but there's something wrong. The generals  
don't have enough power to direct the forces to reveal it to me  
completely. I can't do it and keep all of us protected and I can't  
get the artifact without the help of the generals."

"So what the hell are we going to do," asked Jedeite. "We can  
not fail this mission. You know the consequences."

"Can you contact Kunzite then, Endymion?" Zoicite looked  
around at the group. "Are you powerful enough to break through the  
interference?"

Endymion frowned. "I don't know. I can try, but I really don't  
think that it's possible."

Rose mulled over the problem. "Well, you could try getting in  
touch with the planet. Get in tune with the flows of energy and you  
might be able to use the planet's own energy channel to convey your  
message."

"Think that will work," Nephlite asked with a frown.

"Can't hurt to try," replied Endymion as he set out to work.

* * *

Kunzite's attack had been immediate, but even then, Serenity  
felt it before he actually launched it. She was able to prepare enough  
to defend against the large energy burst coming from the First General  
of the Inner Circle. It knocked her back and away from the artifact  
and broke her concentration. Makoto was trying to disable and  
hopefully kill Esmerade but that was much more difficult than they had  
anticipated. 

Swearing softly under her breath, Serenity try to force her  
power under the general's impressive shield. She felt it waver a few  
times, but it was never enough for her to be very effective in her  
assault. Clenching her jaw, she decided to try to find the cause of  
the fluctuations and exploit it. Getting rid of Kunzite would make a  
great deal of her job easier.

However, this all had to be done while in close, personal  
combat.

Kunzite was even less pleased with the way the battle was  
progressing. He also let that be known to Nephlite, who kept  
distracting him. 'We need you! We can't get to it without you and Rose  
is fading fast from the effort its taking. Finish up there and get  
your ass over here.'

'This is just a little too hard to just simply finish!'  
Kunzite growled over the link. 'Omega has gotten stronger.' He tried  
to calm himself a little. There was another outside force other than  
Omega that was weakening his ability to shield himself and the  
artifact. It wouldn't be long until he would be forced to let one go.  
'I'll be there when I--'

'Oh, is that what this is?' A quiet and almost childish voice  
sounded in the link. He looked at Omega's face and saw that she was  
smiling--almost smirking at him. 'This is almost too easy.'

Serenity tilted her head and then cut the link Kunzite had to  
the other generals. With another thought, she broke through the other  
static she could feel around his mind and what she found made her  
smile grow even more. 'Makoto, are you free enough to contact our team  
leader?'

'Why?'

'Just do it.'

Kunzite narrowed his eyes as he felt the conversation between  
the two resistance fighters. Omega had meant for him to feel that they  
were discussing something, but not actually hear the topic. Supremely  
annoyed, he raised his hand for another attack.

A glint of gold caught his attention out of the corner of his  
eye. Ignoring all training and reason, he turned towards it and came  
face to face with two, large eyes of blue. His breath caught in his  
throat as he realized she was close enough to touch. He reached out  
and brushed the tips of his gloved fingers over her cheek.

"Minako?"

Then came the gut wrenching feeling of an uncontrolled  
teleportation. Just has he had seen her again, she was gone. When his  
eyes cleared and he could breathe again, he found himself sprawled on  
the ground next to a pair of booted feet. Rose looked down at him,  
confused. "How..."

"Omega," he said quickly and stood. "She got the artifact and  
sent me here."

Endymion's eyes widened. He didn't have the ability to  
transport those he didn't personally know yet. "How?" he demanded.  
Kunzite shook his head and joined the interlink.

"It doesn't matter. Let's get this so Metallia doesn't freak."  
He appeared much more calm that he felt. The only thought that settled  
was: 'I am going to kill Kalkia.'

On a private connection, Endymion and Rose shared the same  
sense of panic. Rose knew what kind of punishment Kunzite could be  
capable of inflicting when this furious. However, he was not only  
angry, but shocked, betrayed, saddened, and bewildered, to mention a  
few of his emotions. While the generals and Endymion retrieved the  
artifact, Rose stared at the broad back facing her. She could  
practically see the anger boiling off of his body. This would mean  
very bad things for Kalkia. Her and Endymion, at this point, could  
only hope that they could warn Kalkia and maybe help soften Kunzite's  
anger before he got his hands on her.

* * *

"What did you do to him?" Panicking, Minako resisted the urge  
to choke Serenity or beat the truth out of her. Her hands were  
practically itching with the desire to do so. "He just disappeared!" 

Serenity arched an eyebrow as they made their way back through  
the secret back tunnels, artifact in hand. "Why do you care?"

Minako paused, confused. Why did she want to know? Why did she  
even care? After all, it was a boon to the Cause to have Kunzite out  
of the way. But why did her mind rebel at that thought? She wanted to  
deny it. She wanted him to be safe...no matter what had happened  
between them, she wanted him safe.

However, she couldn't just go and tell Omega that she wanted  
one of their enemies alive. She was about to answer Serenity with some  
blithe remark when instead, Makoto interrupted her. "Serenity, it's  
always a good idea to know where you're putting your enemies. Is he  
dead?"

The young girl blinked and then shook her head. "I didn't  
transport him," she admitted after a moment. "But I did know if he saw  
Minako that there would be enough of a shock for me to be able to call  
the artifact and then transport us out." She paused and looked over at  
her Captain. "He was happy to see you," she said softly. "And then  
very, very angry at someone."

Minako just nodded and stayed quiet for several more minutes.  
"Probably Kalkia. She told him I was dead."

"Do you think we should warn her?" Makoto asked, sounding  
faintly worried about the doctor. Serenity frowned in confusion and  
stopped walking.

"Why would we?" she asked when they stopped to look back at  
her. "It would be helpful for Omega to occur if Doctor Skye was  
weakened. Project Alpha...Endymion is still dependent on her."

The other two women exchanged a look. It was getting more and  
more difficult to explain human concepts to their charge. Finally  
Makoto just sighed and then turned to go back along her course.  
"You're right, Sere. Let's not worry about it."

Alpha Headquarters, Alpha One Enclave

"Think about what you're about to do," Nephlite hissed at his  
friend. Kunzite was purposely stalking towards Kalkia's quarters, his  
anger still radiating off of him in waves. "She probably did it just  
to see you react like this. You're giving into what she wan--"

"Don't try to psychobabble me out of this," Kunzite growled.  
"I'm going to kill her. Just like I should have a long time ago."

"You're making a mistake!" Jedeite insisted. He and Rose were  
desperately trying to keep up with the other two generals and  
Endymion. No one knew exactly where Zoicite had dissapeared to once  
they had arrived back at Alpha Prime. Rose had tried to contact her  
friend in an attempt to warn her, once they had reached the surface.  
However, she had been completely blocked by someone or something  
powerful. The line hadn't been severed or destroyed, but she still  
couldn't get through.

"I don't care," Kunzite snapped and with a few quick security  
codes, he was in Kalkia's room. The sight that met him wasn't exactly  
what he expected, even after giving Kalkia to Esmeraude.

She looked like a child sleeping in the arms of her father or  
brother. Jonathon was holding her gently and obviously had just  
returned to her rooms. There were tears in the large man's eyes and he  
glared hatefully at Kunzite.

Her entire body was still covered in bandages and open wounds.  
All were clean, almost surgical marks on her pale skin, and some were  
still bleeding. Zoicite was there as well, and how he beat the  
silver-haired and enraged general, would never really be known. He was  
furiously racing to close all of her injuries.

When Jon saw Kunzite, he placed Kalkia on the bed and then  
went to him. The general had no time to block the punch that sent him  
across the room. "You bastard," he growled. "I don't care why you want  
to kill her now, but you will not touch her ever again." Feeling fell  
off of him in waves, nearly choking the room's inhabitants. "I can't  
believe you gave her to that monster."

"God, oh god," Rose gasped. She ran immediately to her  
friend's side. Her violet eyes roamed quickly over Kalkia's wounded  
frame and tried to figure out where she could touch Kalkia to comfort  
her without hurting her.

"What happened," asked Nephlite. He took in the scene before  
him incredulously. "What the hell happened?"

Jedeite stuck out a hand to help Kunzite up, but Kunzite  
shoved the blonde's hand away and stood on his own power. Kunzite's  
aura pulsated and began glowing, anger obscuring his features.  
"Nothing she didn't deserve," he spat.

Jonathon made another move to kill Kunzite, but Rose laid a  
restricting arm on his. "Go to her and comfort her. She needs to know  
that you're nearby, not out there beating Kunzite to pieces." She  
waited until the taller man moved to Kalkia's side. She bent over  
Zoicite and asked, "How can I help?"

Endymion's hands clenched before he began to glow with his own  
augmented aura. "I can help heal her physical wounds." He stepped  
nearer to the bed and began to push his golden power over Kalkia's  
body. Almost instantly, the blood flow began to slow. Unneeded, Rose  
and Zoicite stepped back to let him work while Jonathon sat there,  
tenderly brushing his fingers across Kalkia's pale cheek.

"What happened, Kunzite?" Nephlite stood next to his fellow  
general and frowned. Shock kept him from processing all the  
information before him.

"Metallia ordered her to be given a private session with the  
Enforcer." Kunzite sneered. "I didn't think that Esmeraude had that  
much time to inflict that much damage, but obviously, she's been  
improving her skills. Well, that or Kalkia is a lot weaker than I  
thought."

Jedeite shook his head. "How long did Esmeraude have with her?  
An hour? Two? It doesn't take that long for her to do a lot of damage  
to a person's body."

"Right after the briefing, Metallia ordered Kalkia to be  
handed over to Esmeraude. I left shortly thereafter and Esmeraude  
joined me at the convoy about an hour later." Kunzite waved a hand  
unconcernedly. "I suppose Esmeraude had her locked up until just a  
short while ago."

"An hour," replied Nephlite in disbelief. He turned horrified  
green eyes towards Kunzite. "After an hour with Esmeraude, even we  
were greatly damaged and we've been enhanced!"

"At least we received immediate medical attention," replied  
Zoicite. He looked at his medical report. "It says here that she was  
only released a short while ago. She spent at least seven, eight hours  
without medical attention. I was notified of the emergency as soon as  
we returned."

"Why didn't you tell us," asked Rose in a quiet voice. All  
four of the generals turned their attention to the slight woman but  
she kept her gaze firmly fixed upon Kalkia's face. Endymion was making  
rapid progress, but there was still a lot of damage. Her body shook  
slightly.

Kunzite softened, somewhat. His voice lost some of its jeering  
quality and he averted his gaze from Rose to the floor. "It was top  
secret orders from Metallia herself."

"You betrayed me." Rose's quiet comment could be barely heard,  
but all in the room turned at that. Only Rose's gaze was still on  
Kalkia. "You turned from your family, turned from your soul's mate,  
and sold your soul to Metallia, but I still loved you. You were my  
heart-brother and you raped and tortured me, but I still loved you.  
You gave Kalkia the Urge and ordered the death of hundreds, but I  
still always loved you." A tear hit the silent room's floor, soon  
joined by another. "I have shed blood and tears because of my love for  
you, but I always gave them freely. But no more. Those are the last  
tears you will ever get from me, Kunzite." She paused and turned to  
look Kunzite right in the eye, her expression resolved, her eyes dark.

"I hate you."


	14. Chapter Thirteen

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon is the property of Takeuchi Naoko and various  
other entities. Plot and original characters of Kalkia and Rose are  
the property of The Rose Society and Kayla Chavi. 

Alpha's Omega  
Chapter Thirteen - DRAFT  
By: Kayla Chavi and The Rose Society  
Rating: R

* * *

Alpha Headquarters, Alpha One Enclave 

"I hate you." The harsh whisper ripped through the room with  
greater force than if they were shouted. Pain blazed in Rose's eyes  
before she burrowed herself in Jedeite's side and returned to looking  
at Kal.

Nothing was spoken for several long minutes. Emotions flickered  
behind Kunzite's eyes, but instead of saying anything he looked at the  
mutilated body of his other heart-sister. Endymion was having a hard  
time healing her. It seemed that Kalkia's physiology was fighting both  
him and Zoicite at every turn. The silver-haired general turned to  
leave.

"Rose..." the harsh and weak sound came out of Kalkia's voice  
was a pale echo of the women she had been only half a day ago. "Rose,  
its not his fault..."

Kunzite stopped at the door and turned to look into the  
aquamarine eyes on the woman laying on the couch. His anger at her  
returned, but he wisely did not move to hurt her again. He clenched a  
fist at the forgiveness in Kalkia's eyes. She hadn't looked at him  
like that in years.

"He didn't know," she continued and began to cough. Several of  
her wounds reopened and began to bleed. "It's not his fault."

"Kita," Nephlite took one of her hands. "Don't move. We're  
trying to save you..."

I'll be fine!" she stubbornly insisted. "Rose..." Tears filled  
her eyes, making them seem even more blue. "Rose, please don't..."

Jonathon used his hand to cup Kalkia's swollen cheek. "Kaya,  
please, don't move. Let Endymion help to heal you." There was a  
stubborn set to his jaw; Jonathon clearly did not appreciate his  
soul's mate paying more attention to Kunzite and Rose's problem than  
her own injuries. A small part of him was also annoyed that Kalkia  
hadn't acknowledged him.

"He promised me that he would never let Esmeraude get her  
hands on you." Rose buried her face deeper into Jedeite's side. "He  
made a vow to me."

Zoicite looked at Kunzite with disbelieving eyes. "You broke a  
promise?"

Jonathon snorted. "What does a promise mean to the top general  
of the Inner Circle? He's never been a man of much integrity."

Whirling around, Nephlite spoke bitingly, his anger choking  
the words out of him. "All we have left is our honor. No matter what  
you might think, we ALWAYS honor our word. Our pledge to Metallia is  
based on this. You might think that we betrayed our soul's mates, but  
we never, ever vowed to them that we would never join Alpha. They  
assumed that our distaste for some of Alpha's practices would bar us  
from ever joining Alpha, but it didn't. No matter what you think of  
us, honoring our pledges are crucial to us."

Jonathon was about to snap out another disbelieving response  
when Kalkia opened her eyes and looked straight at him. "Please don't  
fight," she begged in her hoarse whisper. "I--" Whatever she was about  
to say was cut off by the start of nearly a half hour of convulsions.  
Zoicite and Endymion frantically tried to help her body repair itself  
from the damage it had aquired and the new problems it was inflicting  
on her. She thrashed around on the bed, her strength making it  
difficult for the three men to hold her down and to work at the same  
time. Everyone stayed in the room to watch, even Kunzite. No one  
wanted to leave, whether it was out of love or morbid curiousity; they  
all stayed.

And then just as suddenly as it started, she stilled. After  
nearly an hour of fighting to keep her alive, the sudden recovery was  
miraculous. Every single one of her internal injuries suddenly ceased  
to exist. The superficial wounds closed and stopped bleeding. The  
bruises faded as she opened clear aquamarine eyes. Kalkia looked at  
Jon and smiled faintly before nodding at Endymion and Zoicite.

There were no protests until she tried to sit up. "Kita!"

"Kal!"

"Kaya!"

She just shook her head at all of them and looked at Rose.  
Letting go of Jon's hand, she reached for her friend--her sister.  
Rose detached herself from Jedeite and hurled herself into the  
redhead's arms. Kalkia grunted once in surprise but hugged her  
tightly.

'I'm fine, you silly girl.'

Jerking back, Rose looked at Kalkia. There was something...  
different about Kalkia. Their link was much stronger, without Rose's  
own tampering. Kalkia's strongest abilities were always centered on  
the physical; the link between the two was always tempered by that.  
But now...

'What's going on? Are you alright?' Rose wrinkled her brow.

'I just told you, I'm fine. A little stronger than before,  
because of Endymion's help, but I'm just fine.' "You should forgive  
Kunzite," Kalkia said aloud.

Before Rose could respond, Kunzite scoffed. "I don't need your  
assistance in this matter, Skye. Do not try to defend me, I don't need  
it." He spun on his heel and left the room. No one turned to watch him  
leave, all except Kalkia.

Picking up the medical scanner, Zoicite looked at the  
readings. "This is amazing, simply amazing. It shouldn't even be  
possible, for everything to be healed at such speeds!" He looked at  
Endymion. "Your ability to heal others must be beyond anything we've  
ever seen before!"

"I--" began Endymion.

"Of course, he's amazing," interrupted Kalkia. She grinned. "I  
helped designed him, so of course, he's beyond anything ever seen  
before."

Looking strangely at her for a second, Endymion slowly nodded.  
Pulling away, Rose joined Zoicite in running a few scans.

Nephlite drew closer to Kalkia's bed. "Kita..." He looked her  
over, slowly, searching every bit of her for any signs of damage.

She just smiled and lightly touched the back of his hand. "I'm  
hungry," she told him simply. "Do you still remember how to steal  
chocolate?" Her eyes were filled with the mischievious and innocent  
glint that hadn't been there for years. Nephlite actually blinked in  
surprise before returning the grin and nodding. "As soon as Zoicite  
tells me it won't shock your system."

"No fair!" she gave a sweet pout and finally managed to get  
Jon and Endymion to let her sit up. "I'm perfectly well enough for  
chocolate. Please, Nephy?"

It was just too shocking and too damn comforting to see her  
acting like his sister again, that even the cold hearted, powerful  
general couldn't deny her whatever wishes she had in that moment. So  
he nodded and pulled the gaping Jedeite out of the room with him.  
Finally, Kalkia turned to Jonathon and tilted her head. He had never  
known her before the Urge, so her behavior was so completely abnormal  
for him. But when she looked at him, when she met his eyes and gave a  
little secret smile, like he was the only man in the room, he found it  
impossible to be annoyed with her earlier dismissal of him.

Without any words or movement, she got him to lean down and  
kiss her. It was sweet and loving, something she never showed to any  
of the others around her before, not even Rose got to see her like  
this. And when Rose watched them kiss, it just solidified the feeling  
that something was off with her friend.

She watched silently as Kalkia and Jonathon left the room,  
followed shortly by a still amazed Zoicite. The doors whispered shut,  
leaving Endymion and herself as the only occupants.

"Aren't you going to join them," asked Endymion as he stood  
next to Rose's side.

She stared at the closed door, then turned to look at  
Endymion, her brow still furrowed. She tilted her head in  
contemplation. 'You feel it too, don't you.'

'She's lying and hiding from us. She's blocking with a  
strength I've never seen before. It would do serious damage to try to  
break down those barriers that she's erected.'

Rose frowned. 'Too much damage. Leave her alone. She'll tell  
us when she's good and ready.' She gave Endymion a weary hug. 'I'm  
going to my quarters. Where are you going?'

'I don't know. There is one more artifact to gather before all  
have been found. So I have at least that mission ahead of me. I've  
just absorbed three, the Eye, the Krystal Moonlight, and the Midnight  
Sky. So even though the Heart of the Forest was lost to us, we will  
still have a slight advantage.' Endymion smiled as the pair headed out  
of Kalkia's quarters. 'I think I deserve some rest, don't you?'

'I think we both do,' Rose answered as she took Endymion's  
hand and leaned into his side. They walked towards Rose's quarters,  
chatting quietly the entire way.

Endymion politely walked her to her quarters and made sure she  
was really intending on going to bed before he even moved to leave. It  
had been such a hard day and Rose had nearly lost her only family. He  
could tell how hurt she was that Kalkia was hiding something from her.  
"Maybe she doesn't know she's doing it," he said towards the end of  
their conversation. "You blocked all of us when you were being  
tortured. Maybe all she needs is time." He desperately wanted her to  
go to sleep without any worries. His protective streak was starting to  
emerge again.

Rose was a little surprised at his abrupt change in topic, but  
she just smiled and kissed his cheek before pushing him out of her  
room. "Endymion, it's late, we're tired, and Kalkia and Jon might just  
cause a power outage if we're lucky. Don't think about it. I'm not."

He frowned. "You're not a very good liar." Rose raised an  
eyebrow pointedly, her violet eyes showing her tired amusement at his  
statement. Endymion wrinkled his nose. "At least to me," he clarified.

"Yes, yes," she gave him another push. 'Go absorb and sleep,  
Endy. Maybe tomorrow things won't be as strange.'

'You'll be okay?'

She gave him a soft smile. 'With you here to watch over me, of  
course I will be.' The door closed with a swish and he could sense  
that she was getting ready for bed. 'Go to bed yourself, silly.'

Endymion laughed before heading off to his room in Rose's  
quarters. Yes, everything would be fine. Kalkia was healthy, she and  
Jonathon were probably going to have some fun, and everything would be  
back to normal in the morning. Well, at least as normal as things  
could get in Alpha.

Omega Cell Headquarters, Alpha One Enclave

With new eyes, Serenity looked at the environment around her.  
She ran through a range of her powers, letting Demando take all the  
measurements he needed.

"It's spectacular," he mumbled. "The Heart has really done you  
a great power boost." He eyed the various scorch marks and bits of  
debris littering the training room floor. "Incredible."

Smiling, Serenity walked over to Demando's side and looked at  
the readings. "Are the power levels quite satisfactory?"

"More than satisfactory," he said with a smile. "The only  
thing that would make this better would be for you to assimilate more  
human behavior and emotions along with it. Sadly, the only artifact  
that can give you that is the Krystal Moonlight." He looked down at  
the data and felt a little sad. He had tried to talk to Serenity about  
the Enclave Six Incident, but had gotten absolutely nowhere.

And there was nothing more she could learn by reading his  
thoughts and feelings the way she had when he had first made her. It  
was as if she had plateaued on her humanity's progression. That  
saddened him more than he could ever explain to her. None of the other  
members of the Resistance seemed too keen on sharing parts of their  
souls with the science experiment either.

"You should stop worrying about me," Serenity said, breaking  
into his thoughts as she took the data pad away from him and set it  
down on the nearby table. "I am only a weapon, remember?" Her bright  
blue eyes were unable to hide her own pain at that statement. "Minako,  
Rei, Ryo, all of them. That's why they wanted me. I am a weapon. I  
will be their savior and then I will be discarded like all weapons in  
a time of peace."

"Serenity..."

She shook her head to stop whatever he might have said out of  
pity for her. "We should concentrate on finding the last artifact. I  
know that Endymion has found all but Neptune's Tears. He doesn't know  
where it is, which means that there is still a chance for us to get  
it." The small girl-child squared her shoulders and gave her mentor a  
forced smile.

* * *

In the darkness of her quarters, Minako sat in a chair,  
staring off into the distance. For the past day, she had scoured the  
official news broadcast, searching for any sign that Kunzite was hurt,  
or worse. As a top general of the Inner Circle, surely there would be  
some news if anything happened to him. When the first few hours proved  
to be a fruitless search, she had felt something in her loosen. It  
wasn't that she didn't trust Serenity... 

Hell, that's exactly what it was. Omega had killed defenseless  
children for no reason other than they MIGHT pose a future hinderance  
to the Cause. It was entirely possible that Serenity killed Kunzite  
and merely lied to her in order to keep Minako from doing something.

Somewhere, in her gut, Minako knew that Kunzite was alive. It  
was faint, very faint, but buried deep within her was her connection  
with Kunzite. As soulmates, it used to be extremely strong. But, over  
the intervening time span, with all that had happened between them, it  
had faded and sometimes, Minako could swear it wasn't there anymore.  
Only that one mission, when she and Kunzite were so close to each  
other in physical proximity, did the connection flare to life. Only  
Rose's interference had kept Kunzite from detecting her.

But even that metaphysical bond didn't keep her from wanting  
some outside, tangible proof that Kunzite was alive.

Minako screamed in frustration. Why did she give a flying fuck  
if Kunzite was alive or dead. Really? With all honesty, Serenity had  
brought up a very important point. She did care and she really  
shouldn't. But logic wasn't a very strong defense against her  
emotions.

If Ami were still alive...Minako sobered at that. Ami was dead  
because of Kunzite. Perhaps not directly because of him, but he was a  
part of the very organization that had ended up killing one of  
Minako's oldest friends.

There were very few people that Minako confided in. Makoto,  
Ami, Rei...but since she was the leader of Omega cell, it was very  
difficult to confide in those she had to order into death. Ami was a  
good listener and a support staff. She was centered on medicine and  
research and Minako had taken that for granted. She lost focus of the  
ugly reality that they were all warriors. At any time, they could die.

In her mind, she knew that more people were going to die.  
There was only one more artifact out there and then, it would be time  
for a final confrontation with Alpha to get access to all seven. Then,  
and only then, could Omega occur. All over the world, Resistance cells  
were gearing up, recruiting heavily and gathering all the weapons and  
supplies possible. They were in enough numbers to prove a challenge to  
the vast army of Alpha. But, in the end, they would be no match. It  
was all dependent on Serenity.

Minako laughed bitterly. Their fate, the fate of the world was  
dependent on a powerful weapon in the form of a small woman. But after  
Enclave Six, Minako had a hard time thinking of Serenity as a person.  
More like a monster, or sociopath.

More than anything she wanted to blame someone else for the  
failure of humanizing Serenity, but the longer she tried the more  
obvious it became. It was her own fault. As Serenity's commanding  
officer, she should have been able to see the dangerous direction that  
the child was heading. That thought chilled her so much so that she  
shivered and stood. She paced the room in an attempt to get warm.

What would Ami do?

The thought came to her suddenly. She frowned and thought  
through it again. What would Ami do? Hell, what had Ami done before  
she had been killed? As Minako went through the last few weeks after  
Enclave Six, she realized that of all the people in the Cell, Ami had  
not shunned Serenity for what she had done. Of course, she hadn't  
condoned it, but she had patiently tried to explain to Omega what was  
wrong with her actions. Serenity had never seemed to understand, but  
Ami had at least tried.

Minako was startled out of her thoughts when the chime  
announcing a visitor loudly beeped. Not thinking, she granted  
permission for her visitor to come in. She found herself shocked to  
see Serenity standing there. The blonde weapon stood there, her face  
unreadable, but polite, waiting for Minako to respond to her.

"Come in, Omega." Minako walked back over to her chair and sat  
down, waiting for her visitor to do the same.

"Serenity," she small girl corrected.

"What?"

"My name. It's Serenity. We're not in a briefing or on duty.  
I'm your subordinate, so you can call me Serenity." Her soft chiding  
made the captian clench her jaw, but otherwise she gave no indication  
of her annoyance with her. "Demando wanted me to tell you that I've  
successfully absorbed the artifact and that I'm performing better than  
expected."

"You came all the way to my quarters to tell me that?" Minako  
raised an eyebrow and looked at her levelly. Serenity shrugged but  
didn't say anything for a few moments.

"Demando seemed to think that it was the more personal and  
human thing to do," she finally answered. "He's very concerned with my  
humanity. As is everyone else," she added, almost as an afterthought.

"Why wouldn't we be concerned with your development?" Minako  
leaned back in her chair in an attempt to not show her confusion.  
Omega sighed quietly and again it took a little while for her to form  
her answer.

"Why would you be concerned with the humanity of a weapon you  
plan to discard the moment it is no longer useful?" Serenity met  
Minako's eyes which caused the older woman to give a minor flinch.  
"Further more, why would it bother you so much that I have no  
conscious past that of a two year old child? You expect me to behave  
as if I have the life experience of a twenty year old woman. And when  
I don't, you try to emotionally punish me instead of attempting to  
explain or show me what you think I've done wrong."

"Serenity, you have to understand--"

"No. I don't have to do anything. You made me with the sole  
purpose of taking over the world. You can call it saving the world, or  
freeing the people from Alpha, or whatever you like, but the truth  
still remains. You are using me to reshape everything into the image  
you want. How do I know you're not going to turn around and give these  
people another tyranny to suffer under?" Serenity had clenched her  
hands into fists, but that was the only indication of her anger. Her  
voice was still calm and reasonable. She continued.

"Every citizen of Alpha I have come across doesn't hate their  
way of life. It was only until I went to the lower levels that I could  
understand the darker side to the government. But you are trading one  
kind of evil for another. How can I know good from evil if you are  
giving me no real standard to objectively stand by?" Serenity did not  
allow Minako to voice her protests, or even speak as she continued  
again.

"What is going to happen to the people who oppose you? Are you  
going to kill them? Their children? Will you throw them into the lower  
levels to starve and die like the people we saw?" Tears had filled  
Omega's eyes by this point and her entire body was shaking. "And if  
you do, how is that any different than what I did? At least I was  
quick about it. They only suffered moments compared to the years and  
decades that you would have given them."

"So I ask you again, Minako. Why do you blame me for my  
inhumanity, when you have never shown any yourself?"

"How dare you," growled Minako. "How dare you question my  
humanity? I would never kill children. I am not trying to become a  
tyrant! I call it a movement of freedom, because that's exactly what  
it is! I am trying to give these people a chance to determine their  
own lives, to live as they see fit. Why should we follow everything  
that Alpha dictates? People deserve to have freedom. Anyone that  
opposes Alpha is killed. We don't."

Serenity snorted. "You don't, do you? Those Alpha soldiers  
that are trying to earn a living by serving the military, they are  
killed daily by your Resistance movement. They oppose you and you kill  
them. Can you deny this? And what happens when you gain power and  
knock down Metallia? Most people out there accept what Alpha does. If  
they don't like the 'freedom' you bring to them, what will you do  
then? They are in significant enough numbers to pose a threat to you.  
And I have knowledge about your past, before Alpha. You were killing  
this planet with your technology and freedom. Millions were starving  
and disenfranchised but no one gave a damn because they were all 'free'  
to pursue their own goals. At least with Alpha, all have a chance to  
work, all have a role in life. Those that were underground were  
escapees and rejects, yes, but their numbers pale in comparison to  
those in the old society."

Minako narrowed her eyes. "We would try to convince them and  
if that proved fruitless, we would ensure that they would not be in a  
position to threaten a budding new democracy."

"You sound like you're going to enslave them, or lock them up,  
for their 'own good.'" Serenity arched a flaxen brow.

Gritting her teeth and clenchin a fist, Minako began to glow  
faintly. "Look, SERENITY," she bit out, "as you pointed out, you are  
only a child, so let me clear some things up. Alpha is evil. Metallia  
is evil. We are the good guys. We will bring freedom and choice to the  
people of this world. What they choose to do with it will be their  
own. When this is all over, we'll have the luxury of teaching you how  
to be human, but as of now, just concentrate on the mission.  
Dismissed."

Serenity sat there, very still for a long moment before slowly  
standing. "No. There will be no mission. I will not give you Omega  
only so you can be Alpha. I can't trust you, Minako. When you are  
ready to treat me as an equal, to explain things to me so I can  
understand. I am not going to bring these people more misery."

She went to the door and waited for it to open. She looked  
over her shoulder at the seething blonde. "When good people stop at  
nothing to achieve their goal, then all is lost. Alpha may be evil,  
Minako, but I am not convinced that we are good."

The doors silently hissed shut behind her. Serenity paused in  
the hall, unsure where to go or even where to turn. She had only said  
what was in her heart. Trying not to think, she went back to her room.  
'Would Endymion think well of me now?' was the only thought that  
stayed coherent. And it was a hollow comfort.

Alone in her quarters, Minako was left with the resounding  
silence of Serenity's wake.

* * *

Serenity lay in bed, waiting for sleep to overtake her. It was  
hard, being around people that you cared about, feeling their  
disappointment in you. Worse was the fear she could feel in them. At  
first it was a fear of her, Serenity, at what she could do, of what  
she was capable of. Even though she did this to protect them, the  
people that she loved, they still refused to understand. Anger and a  
feeling of resentment burned in her heart. Minako, Demando, Rei...  
they were the people that were closest to her, but they refused to  
understand her. 

'That's because they don't want to understand, or rather, that  
they understand too perfectly.'

She whirled around, taking a fighting stance. 'Who's there?'

A figure appeared. 'Endymion? What are you doing in my  
quarters?'

Smirking, Endymion waved a hand around. 'Take a good look  
around you. You're dreaming. We're connected in the dreamscape.' He  
put his hands up. 'We can't fight each other. Well,' he paused. 'We  
can, actually, but it wouldn't get us anywhere. So you might as well  
calm down, Serenity, and try to talk to me.'

Slowly, Serenity lowered her fists. Her heart beat, perhaps  
not physically, but in her dream body, sped up. He was still smiling  
at her, not looking at her with loathing or hatred. 'What did you mean  
earlier?'

'About our connection? We're soulmates so we are always  
connected. Since we're both sleeping, you obviously lowered your  
shields enough so that we could connect on a mental level.'

Serenity shook her head. 'No, I mean, what about them  
understanding too perfectly? Did you hear what I was saying?'

He nodded. 'They fear what you did because, somewhere, deep in  
their hearts, they have wanted to do the same thing. Strategically  
speaking, it is so much easier to eliminate your enemies, while they  
are still helpless. That way, you can overpower and defeat them. They  
fear themselves, that dark part of themselves, and when they look at  
you, that's all that they see. So they fear you.'

She looked away. 'It hurts, you know? I love all of them,  
almost as much as I love--' Oops, can't let him know the depth of her  
emotions for him. 'But they reject me now. Just because I don't fit  
into a definition of humanity that they accept.'

Placing a hand on her shoulder, Endymion look out into the  
same murky distance as Serenity. 'Humanity is not a given. It's more  
of a desire to be liked by those around you. You refrain from doing  
certain things because you want people to like you.'

'Much how I regret the Enclave Six Incident because of you,'  
Serenity thought to herself. She sighed and looked up at him and  
studied his expression for a moment. 'The way that Minako talks about  
it, humanity is supposed to be something more than just programmed  
social responces. To her, being human is something you either are, or  
something you're not.'

Endymion shrugged and met her clear blue eyes. 'She's wrong,'  
he said simply. 'Humanity is a process. Its something you strive for.  
That's what Rose keeps telling me, anyway.'

'Rose. The doctor that's making everything difficult for us.  
Did you know she actually tells us who we can and cannot kill in the  
Alpha heirarchy?'

His lips quirked into a slight smile. 'She's very protective  
of her friends, Serenity.'

'Well, I don't go around telling her that she can't allow  
Alpha to kill Rei or Haruka. She'd never listen to me.' The blonde  
wrinkled her nose and looked incredibly childish. It was an aspect of  
herself that rarely got expressed anymore. 'She let Ami die.'

Endymion was surprised to find himself stricken by the sadness  
in her voice and his own guilt at that situation came to the  
forefront. 'Serenity...' He watched as she tensed. 'You know that Rose  
isn't responsible for this. She doesn't want to kill anyone. We tried  
everything, did everything we could...'

'But she still died.' Tears began to well up in her eyes.

Endymion felt his heart ache. 'All of us, even you and me, are  
just pawns in a war that was not of our own making. We all try our  
best to prevent or head off such death and destruction, but Fate has a  
way of waylaying even the best made plans.' Guilt was really gnawing  
at his insides. With all his powers, he could have done something. But  
in the end, it would have shown that he was not as Alpha had intended.  
He would have been destroyed or punished, and while he was willing to  
accept that, others would have tried to stop it. Too many people would  
also be on the line and he wasn't willing to let that happen.

Serenity sighed. 'Logically, I know that one person is not to  
blame, that one particular person is not targeted or singled out. And  
somehow, because you love her so much, that Rose isn't to blame. But  
that doesn't change the fact that Ami is dead, nor does it help me to  
stop being angry.'

'There will be more deaths, more sacrifices, before all this  
is over, you know that, right?' He turned his head to look at her.

She didn't meet his gaze. 'Yes,' she said softly. 'And I'm  
beginning to realize that it won't be over until one of us dies,  
possibly both.'

They were both silent for a long while. Finally, Endymion  
broke the silence. 'We have to do what is right, Serenity. That's all  
we can do.'

She turned to stare at him. 'How do you define what is right  
or wrong? Everyone in the Resistance tries to tell me what is right  
and wrong, but everyone has different ways of envisioning it.'

Endymion took a few moments before answering her. 'I've come  
to realize that's the way it is everywhere. Most people have their own  
definition of right and wrong, but there are still a few things that  
most can agree are truly evil.'

'Like killing children.' She had turned away from him and  
crossed her arms over her chest as if she were cold. Endymion's  
expression softened and he reached out to lightly put his hands on her  
shoulders. He had seen Jon do this with Kalkia several times, and  
normally it helped. She flinched at first, but didn't tell him to stop  
touching her.

'Serenity...'

'I don't feel guilty about it, you know,' she whispered. 'The  
only reason I regret doing it was because of the look in your eyes  
before I jumped off the building. You hated me and that hurt more than  
anything.'

'Perhaps that's better than nothing. Why has no one ever  
helped you develop a set of morals?' He shook his head. 'I was never  
meant to have one, but surely someone helped to integrate one into  
you?'

She turned to look at him, his arms now loosely at his side.  
'No, they never thought about it. I'm thought of as a weapon for  
achieving their goals. At least, that's how they originally thought of  
me. Even though some of them love me, think of me as a person...' She  
wrapped her arms around him, luxuriating in his warmth. They might not  
have been together in a physical sense, but his love for her took on  
a temperate nature in this dreamscape, and she needed all the love she  
could get at this moment. She pressed her ear up to his chest and  
listened to the calming thump of his heartbeat.

Draping his arms around Serenity's waist, he placed his chin  
on top of Serenity's head, right in between the two buns of hair. He  
was angry, but not at Serenity. Why hadn't they give her a sense of  
morality? The disaster of Enclave Six could have been avoided with  
such a simple act. But, he could understand why. Rose and Kalkia were  
the head scientists on Project Alpha and Rose especially was feeling  
very guilty about designing a weapon that would keep Metallia in  
power. And Rose knew that there was danger in creating a being without  
morals. So she gave him one. But if Serenity was always considered a  
weapon first, and a person last, then, it was conceivable that no one  
had even realy thought of morals.

'Do you trust me?'

Serenity lifted up her head and looked into the smiling blue  
eyes of the dark-haired man who was her soulmate. She held his gaze.  
Eventually, she replied, 'Completely.'

'Then let me help you gain those pieces of humanity that you  
don't have.' He laid a gentle kiss upon her forehead. 'Open your mind  
to me and let me help guide you.'

She nodded and clenched her fingers in the fabric of his  
shirt, as she willingly opened herself to him for the first time. She  
was nervous and shy with the mental aspect of it. Her powers had yet  
to grow in that area. Physically she was stronger than Endymion, but  
mentally...she definitely lacked. Endymion gently went into her and  
carefully watched for any sign of pain or discomfort. She shifted  
irritably a few times before relaxing all of her barriers.

Even when she did that, he was slow as he showed her how to  
determine good and evil. He gave her the knowledge of what it felt  
like for him when something was wrong and right. She clung to him  
tightly as they went through this slow, melding of minds. She  
whimpered a few times and he always stopped to make sure he wasn't  
hurting her. Finally, when he felt sure that she had enough  
information to develop her own sets of morals, he began to break the  
connection.

Serenity panicked when she felt his mind start to leave hers  
and clung to him more tightly. 'Don't,' she whispered, shaking in his  
arms. 'I don't want to be alone yet.'

'I wasn't leaving you, Serenity,' he said in an attempt to  
placate her. He was about to say something else, when he felt a surge  
of desire for the blond go through him. It was something of a  
surprise, considering they weren't physically together. It was just  
mental but for some reason he hadn't maintained his normal level of  
control around her.

'Please,' she murmured, her lips brushing against the skin of  
his neck. 'I don't want to wake up yet.'

He felt his own arms tighten around her body as he lifted her  
off the ground a little and buried his face in her neck. He could feel  
her heartbeat against his chest. He could smell her simple and clean  
scent even though he knew it wasn't real. He murmured her name in a  
choked whisper. Later he would be embaressed that he lost control so  
easily. He was supposed to be helping her and being her friend, not  
wanting to make love to her, even if it was only in their minds.

'Sere--'

'Damnit,' she grumbled and he felt her shudder and start to  
push away from him. 'Someone is trying to wake me up.' Endymion swore  
under his breath as well, realizing the same thing. 'I...'

'We'll talk more later,' he promised. As something of an after  
thought, he tried to reestablish his link to her. It was a surprise to  
find that she wasn't agreeable to that idea. The blonde shook her head  
as she painfully extracted herself from his embrace.

'It would be wrong. They trust me. Rose and Kalkia trust you.  
We can't.' Then she was gone. Endymion stayed in the dreamscape for  
several long moments before opening his eyes. He looked up at the  
amused expression of Kalkia.

"What are you doing out of bed?" he demanded, feeling his  
cheeks heat as she gave him a very pointed look at his waist. "You  
nearly died--"

"I'm fine. It really was nothing that a good night of sex  
couldn't fix. We need to get a look at your power levels and run some  
tests." She turned on her heel and prepared to at least leave him some  
privacy to dress. She paused at the doorway and he heard her giggle  
quietly. "You know," she said over her shoulder. "Sometimes its better  
when you're away from each other. Things can get a lot more  
interesting."

"Kalkia!"

Her laughter echoed all the way out of the room and down the  
hallway. Even then, he couldn't begrudge her that. It had been a while  
since she had really laughed. As he showered and dressed, Endymion  
found that Serenity had been right. He couldn't betray Rose and  
Kalkia's trust by allowing Serenity access to Alpha. He really did  
love those two strange doctors way too much.

* * *

Entering his room, Kunzite removed his sweaty shirt, peeling  
it from his sweat-soaked body. He had just spent most of the night  
beating the crap out of some of the other officers in a few rounds of  
training. When a lot of them ended up in the medical bay, he growled  
his frustration and went to the holographic room to go kill something.  
He picked up a data pad and brought up a list. 

When he became a general of the Inner Circle, one of the  
fringe benefits was that a lot of women were extremely eager to join  
him in his bed. Because of the nature of his work, all were given  
background checks. They were complied into a list with pictures and  
biographies. Basically, they were willing to be called at any time,  
any place. They were willing to drop everything, even husbands,  
boyfriends, girlfriends, wives, on the off-chance that he might call.  
All the generals had them. After all, there was political gain for  
anybody seen with a member of the Inner Circle.

Scrolling through the list, he settled on a woman. Kunzite  
didn't really feel like spending his off hours alone. He gave his  
personal computer his orders and stepped into the shower. By the time  
he had finished and thrown on some comfortable black pants, the woman  
had arrived and was waiting outside the main doors to his quarters.

"Enter," he said as he toweled off his hair.

A woman entered his quarters and looked around the corners,  
looking for where he was. "In here." She followed the sound and  
entered the room, wearing a curve-hugging mini-skirt and plunging  
neckline. He vaguely recalled that she was some local governmental  
officer's daughter, about 19 years of age. Her face was artfully  
enhanced with makeup, the subtle colors bringing out the delicacy of  
her facial features and the soft arching wing of her dark brow. As she  
drew closer, her inviting cleavage exposed for all to see, a soft  
scent of her expensive perfume reached his nose. It was sultry; a mix  
of sexy spices meant to inflame passion.

He frowned. "Change your scent." He looked her up and down.  
"Go into the cleanser, whether you use the sonic shower or regular  
water is fine with me, just make sure you don't smell like the perfume  
that you're wearing right now. And change your clothes."

Her violet eyes widened in surprise, but she said nothing, not  
wanting to ruin her chances with him. She hurried off into the  
facilities area, clutching the clothes that he had flung at her.

She was changed and ready in minutes. Kunzite looked her over  
and finally nodded in satisfaction. She looked exactly how he wanted.  
Modest. Innocent. Exactly like her. Without further ado, he brought  
her back into the bedroom he used for activities such as these. The  
only woman who had ever managed to be in his personal chambers, was  
Minako. He didn't want any other woman's scent left on his sheets. Not  
even Rose saw his bed, no she saw this room, just like every other  
woman.

As far as actual sex went, it wasn't spectacular. This woman  
wasn't his normal type, but she caught on quick to how he wanted her  
to respond. Kunzite wasn't one who really cared what the women in his  
bed felt with him. Again, that attention and care had only been  
extended to Minako and sometimes Rose. Most women had no complaints,  
and this black-haired bitch was no exception.

As she lay beneath him in exhaustion, him not slacking in the  
least, he forced her to look up at him. "Tell me you love me." When  
she didn't respond right away, he jerked his hips hard against hers  
and she gave a little cry of pain.

"I...I love you," she managed uncertainly. Again he gave  
another hurtful push. "I love you," she said again.

"Again." He gripped her wrist tightly and pressed it against  
the bed.

"I love you."

"Open your eyes." With his other hand, he wrenched her chin up  
and made her look up at him. "Again."

"I love you." She tried not to wince as he showed her no  
tenderness, no care as he continued to fuck her. She watched his face  
alternatingly fill with emotion and then close off. She repeated the  
words everytime he told her to and didn't look away.

"Mean it," he growled. "Say it like you mean it."

With her free hand, the woman touched the side of his face.  
Her fingers trembled as she wiped the sweat off of his cheek. She  
pulled his head down and buried her face in his throat. With all the  
feeling she could muster, she said it.

"I love you, Kunzite."

He stiffened and then gave one last thrust before climaxing  
into her with a blinding rush. He rolled off of her a moment later and  
sat up on the edge of the bed. Exhausted, the woman laid there and  
tried to recapture her breath. Slowly, he stood and headed towards his  
bathroom. "Get out. I don't want to see you in here when I'm  
finished."

She stared at his retreating naked back and smiled. She was in  
pain, somewhat, and unsatisfied, but she wasn't here to get a lover.  
Well, not really. There was a small part of her that hoped the general  
would like her enough to make her his mistress, but over the years,  
there had never been any rumors of a love interest for Kunzite. She  
got what she wanted: bragging rights. She threw off the sheets and  
began to dress, smiling the entire time.

* * *

"You've gotten reckless." 

Kunzite blinked in surprise at the sound of her voice. He had  
gone out into his living room and had felt like he was completely  
alone in the apartment. He had even waited until he felt the woman  
leave so there would be no confrontation. Instead, he had Kalkia  
sitting in his favorite chair.

And it wasn't even the Kalkia that he expected. Her hair was  
down and in the natural, tight, spiral curls that she had been unable  
to control in her youth. The auburn length fell to her waist, tumbling  
over her shoulders, and still very much in the familiar disarray. Her  
face was free of any make-up and in the modest off-duty Alpha uniform.  
She looked like the little girl he had befriended a decade ago.

It wasn't until now that he realized how much he missed this  
side of her.

Immediately that thought and feeling was replaced with anger  
and fury. She was manipulating him and she knew it. His rage at her  
deception with regards to Minako was just as strong as it had been two  
days ago.

"Excuse me??" he bit out.

"I shouldn't have even heard about that slut, let alone seen  
and talked to her. And if I was able to see her, Rose definitely felt  
it. Very déclasse, Kunzite." She paused and tilted her head. "Not to  
mention vulgar.?

He forced himself not to cross the room and take her by the  
throat. The need to crush her neck was a wonderful image to him. "What  
are you doing here, Skye??He attempted to sound patient with her, but  
he knew it might snap at any moment.

"We needed to talk.?

"I don't want an apology for what you did with Aino. And I'm  
sure as hell not going to apologize for giving you to Esmerade.?His  
aura began to concentrate in his fist, the glow starting to become  
visible to the naked eye.

Kalkia glanced at his hand and sighed softly. Against his will,  
Kunzite felt his entire body relax. His fist unclenched and became  
slack against his side. His legs weakened and he felt the need to sit.  
He even could breathe easier. All the tension in his back and  
shoulders also was released. Kunzite tried to clench his jaw in  
defiance, but even that action drained away.

"Sit," Kalkia murmured softly. He glared at her and silently  
refused. She wrinkled her nose in irritation with his disobedience,  
but didn't push it. The relaxation that had suddenly come onto him,  
stopped.

"I am not here to apologize and I don't care about what  
happened with Esmerade. She didn't hurt me anyway.?

Kunzite snorted and leaned against the opposite couch. He  
wasn't going to sit, but that didn't mean he wanted to be embarrassed  
if his legs gave out.

"Do you really think that she is capable of truly hating you?"

Kalkia leaned back comfortably in the chair and watched him closely  
through calm blue-green eyes. When he refused to answer, she tried a  
different question.

"Did Rose ever give you a reason for making you promise never  
to give me over to the Enforcer??

That got more of a reaction out of him, for he looked a little  
stunned by the topic. "She never gave me any details. She was crying  
when she begged for that promise and I had just..." he ran a hand  
through his damp silver hair in irritation. "I just assumed that she  
was trying to protect you."

That got a laugh out of her. Shaking her head, she said, "Rose  
knew that I could take care of myself, especially with how well and  
how quickly I gained control over the offensive power of the Urge. No,  
Rose was more worried about me killing Esmerade and the result being  
that I would be made the Enforcer. She also knew that if that were to  
happen, I would, without hesitation, use any and all excuses to get  
you into the playroom. She had no doubt that I would have killed all  
of you in a long and painful event that would not have stopped until I  
had devoured the entire world.?"

"Metallia would have stopped you." The response came quickly  
in the attempt to hide the sudden fear and shock that managed to chill  
him. Her tone had been blunt and direct, but with a quiet, seductive  
murmur. Kalkia gave him one of her teasing smirks.

"Are you willing to bet your life on that?" She arched an  
eyebrow at him. Before he could answer, she quickly continued. "But as  
you can see, Rose's fears have not come to pass. Unfortunately,  
Esmerade is still very much alive."

"Why? You seem well enough. Are you not as strong as Rose  
seems to believe," he taunted.

Her lips once again curled up in an amused smirk. "No. I'm  
stronger. I've been hiding a lot from everyone, even Rose. But after  
my event with Esmerade, she knows. I no longer have to hide from  
anyone."

Slowly, Kalkia stood and walked over to the general. Gently,  
she placed her palm against the bare skin over his heart. He had to  
shunt away the memories of her doing the same thing in the past. It  
had been a gesture of comfort between them. She had done it whenever  
he had suffered from a broken heart, which was a lot more often than  
the boy in him had cared to admit.

"I forgive you, Kunzite. For everything. From giving me to the  
Urge, to treating me like shit for the past seven years, to giving me  
over to the Enforcer. I, forgive you."

His gaze snapped down to hers and he glared at her. He gripped  
her wrist tightly, hoping to either break it or active the Urge. It  
was just a reaction he had developed with her over the years. However,  
she didn't flinch, her bones didn't break, and there was no sign of  
the Urge.

"I don't."

"Yes, you do." Effortlessly, she pulled out of his grip.

"I'm still pissed about Minako."

Kalkia shrugged. "Anytime you want to try taking me in a  
fight, I'm totally up for it. However, I strongly suggest you get over  
it."

When he didn't answer or acknowledge her, she turned to leave  
him. She was almost out the door when his voice stopped her. "Kal?"

She looked over her shoulder at him. "She still hates me."

Kalkia's expression became sad and melancholy.

"If you care so much, then maybe you should do something about  
it." She paused, as if carefully weighing her next sentence.  
"Something that isn't fucking some whore who looks like her. You're a  
mature, grown male, Kunzite. Stop acting like a petulant, selfish  
child."

"Kalkaylakia," he warned. His anger was suddenly back in full  
force, even though his body was still too relaxed to do anything about  
it.

"Have you talked to Minako yet?" she interrupted whatever  
tirade he was about to start on. "Have you given her any thought? Have  
you asked her if she hates you?" Once again she managed to stun him  
into silence. "It's time to grow up, heart-brother, and time to stop  
punishing others for your mistakes."

Then, she left him alone.

* * *

Scanning the results, Rose quickly ran the numbers through  
some mental equations. Math. Math was good. She shut her mind and  
ignored all else. 

Raising an eyebrow, Endymion knew exactly what Rose was  
blocking out and trying to avoid thinking about. He sincerely hoped  
that she wouldn't vomit on him. Well, he felt a similar level of  
disgust, so he couldn't really blame her.

"How long are you going to continue to do this?" Kalkia  
interrupted herself. She had been trying to explain to her friends  
what some of the results had meant. "You're starting to echo at me,  
Rose, and its giving me a headache."

Startled, Rose nodded before she gave off a golden glow for a  
moment. With a small surge of power, she locked away any knowledge of  
what she had sensed. With a confused look, she looked around, as if  
confused about what she was doing, before she noticed the data pad in  
her hand and resumed her calculations.

With a quick look over his shoulder to make sure that Rose was  
too preoccupied, Endymion sent to Kalkia, 'I know what you did with  
Kunzite.'

She blinked at him in surprise. 'Does Rose know then?'

'No. She's walled off her link with Kunzite right now. She  
only knows about that woman because Rose usually hears all the minds  
that are present in a certain radius. She doesn't know about your  
visit.' He gave her a mental smile. 'But I do. And you did a  
remarkable job. It's was a lot more restrained than I would have been  
capable of.' He frowned, slightly. 'I just can't figure out how you  
were able to do what you did with Kunzite. I know that you won't tell  
me and short of breaking into your mind, I won't find out, but I wish  
you would confide in me.'

'Endymion,' she sounded faintly exasperated and a little  
chiding. 'When have I ever confided in anyone? Not even Jon gets into  
my head the way that you and Rose seem to think you're entitled to.'  
She gave him a slight smile and lightly touched his shoulder. 'You're  
being much too concerned over this. I just have a new perspective now,  
that's all it is.' She paused and suddenly got a positively wicked  
glint in her eyes. 'How are things between you and Serenity?'

His eyes widened and it was comical the way he looked  
completely horrified that she knew about not only the first  
dreamscape, but also the last two nights he had spent with her.  
'You're guessing.'

She giggled and poked him playfully. 'Oi, I wish you would  
confide in me,' she teased. She was very effective in turning his  
attention away from her conversation with Kunzite. If it hadn't been  
for the feeling that this was exactly how she was supposed to be,  
Endymion would have had serious doubts to Kalkia's sanity after the  
torture.

"What are you two giggling about?" Rose broke in, shooting  
them a look of mock hurt.

"The new Resident that seems to have taken a liking to you,"  
Kalkia responded without missing a beat. Again, it was very worth it  
to see her friend blush.

Light banter and laughter filled the room. It had been a long  
time since they had all been so light-hearted. But, as always, there  
was an undercurrent of worry.

'Kalkia IS happy,' commented Rose.

'But it's such a drastic change. Most people don't change in  
such a short time,' Endymion returned.

'Leave her alone, Endy. We can't interfere in the paths of  
others. She's an adult; let her make her own choices.' Rose frowned.  
'I still don't know how much of a good thing it was for you to bond  
with Serenity in Dreamscape.' She waved a hand to halt his protests.  
'She needs a moral compass, true. But how much have you changed her  
fate?'

'I don't know. But I know that I want to be there for her. I  
love her.' He cringed slightly. 'It's surprising, but I love her, no  
matter what she's done.'

There was a small, wistful smile from Rose. 'Such is the curse  
of soulmates. You two will always be connected, no matter what the  
other person does. That's why it's so hard. But the rewards can be  
greater than you can ever imagine. Love: it's a curse and a blessing.'

'And the sex is pretty damn good too,' Kalkia cut in,  
surprising both of her friends. She just smiled sweetly, like she  
hadn't known that she wasn't supposed to be hearing most of their  
conversation. 'And don't worry about the fate thing, Endy. It doesn't  
exist anyway.'

He wrinkled his nose and looked between the two women. That  
really was the main difference between them. Kalkia didn't believe in  
fate or destiny, while Rose did. He quickly jumped in before they  
could start debating. One time he could have sworn that there had  
almost been blood over it if Zoicite hadn't come in to stop them.  
However, he did ask, "Why did you help create me if you don't believe  
in Fate?"

"Oh that's easy," the red head said outloud with him. "Because  
I don't believe that Omega has to end the world or even Alpha. I don't  
believe that is written in stone. I created you in response to that.  
Against Destiny."

Rose rolled her eyes. "You created him because you were bored  
and you made me help because its never enough for you to be bored by  
yourself. You always have to involve me."

"I was not bored." Kalkia glared at her friend.

"Were too."

"Were not!"

Endymion laughed under his breath. If forever was like this,  
then he'd have no complaints.


	15. Chapter Fourteen

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon is the property of Takeuchi Naoko and various  
other entities. Plot and original characters of Kalkia and Rose are  
the property of The Rose Society and Kayla Chavi. 

Alpha's Omega  
Chapter Fourteen - DRAFT  
By: Kayla Chavi and The Rose Society  
Rating: R

* * *

He sat there, lost in the Dreamscape, waiting. He stared off  
into the distance, looking at the swirling shapes and forms in the  
clouds. Frowning, Endymion used his power to change the landscape.  
Suddenly, a beautiful blue sky filled with wispy white clouds  
appeared, occasionally with a bird soaring through it. A lush green  
spread of grass appeared under his feet, trees dotting the foreground  
and a small, sparkling waterfall behind him. There was a small hill  
nearby covered with wildflowers of various hues. The noise of the wind  
ruffling the green leaves of the healthy trees, the sound of the water  
falling, and the background noises of the insects and other wildlife  
was perfect. An idyllic playground.

Endymion smiled. Rose had shown him how to alter the  
Dreamscape to different scenes. Of course, during their conversation,  
Kalkia had given a few...pointers of her own. He blushed at some of  
the suggestions. He wasn't only interested in getting into her pants.  
Right?

Sure, desire was there, and they complemented each other in  
ways he had never experienced with anyone else. Even the two doctors,  
while they were closer to him than anyone else, weren't Serenity. He  
felt differently about Serenity.

In an instant, he could sense Serenity approaching even before  
she appeared, right in front of him.

'How was your day,' he asked, holding out a hand to her so  
that she would take a seat next to him.

She sat next to him and began picking at her clothes. 'That  
bad, huh,' he remarked, chuckling slightly.

She frowned at him. 'Minako made me go through more training  
exercises. Since I still refuse to go on a mission, she refuses to  
really speak to me.'

He gently squeezed her hand in an attempt to comfort her. Ever  
since he had started this, Kalkia had given him pointers that didn't  
include different sex positions. So far, they had seemed to work  
rather well. Again he had to remind himself that he wasn't doing all  
of this just so he could get in her pants.

'I mean,' she continued, 'I've told her what she needs to do  
in order to convince me, but she refuses to even try. She assumes that  
because she's the leader, because she's human, she knows more and  
there for is above it. Some of the other girls act the same way. Boys  
are so much less confusing.'

He blinked at that and tilted his head in surprise. Slowly,  
he slipped an arm around her waist and urged her to lay her head on  
his shoulder. 'You think boys are easier to understand?'

'They're less emotional,' she insisted. 'More logical and  
rational.'

Endymion had to laugh at her naivety a little. The men he  
worked with were hardly ever rational or used any sort of logic. They  
were just as emtional and confusing as Rose and Kalkia at times. 'Then  
you haven't gotten to know the right men. I hate being around Zoicite  
or especially Kunzite when they're having a bad day. At least with  
Kalkia, I know its something I did or said, rather than the fact I  
'just don't get it.' Men are just as emotional as women, Eren.'

She wrinkled her nose at the nickname. She had yet to come up  
with something like that for him and she hadn't managed to understand  
why she felt warm and blushed whenever he used it. And she couldn't  
ask any of her 'friends' what it meant to feel like this because they  
definately would not approve of her activies. Ami would have, but Ami  
was dead.

'I don't believe you,' she pouted. 'It's easier for me to  
understand Taiki's moods and he's both.'

'Both what?' Endymion's brow lowered in confusion.

'Male and Female.'

'What?! How...' Alpha Project looked most confused and  
startled. It made Serenity giggle. It wasn't often that she got to  
stun him into silence.

She explained and Endymion processed the information. 'Well,  
men and women aren't too different emotionally, as children,' replied  
Endymion. 'It's just that society, even nowadays, forms them  
differently when they become adults. But you're wandering from the  
main subject.'

'And what's that?' She blinked.

'Your problems with Minako.' Serenity scowled. Endymion poked  
her in the side. 'Don't do that,' he said. 'Your face might freeze  
like that.'

She scowled even more. 'That is so cliched and old.'

Endymion frowned. 'And again, you're avoiding.'

Serenity sighed. 'I know, I know.'

'Why don't you talk with her?'

'Because she won't talk with me,' Serenity pouted.

He shook his head. 'You need to compromise with her. Not on  
the subject itself, but try to give and take. Ask her to explain, or  
at least talk with you in a calm manner. You can ask for all you want  
with her, but she has the right to say no. Just realize that you two  
will have two completely different views on this and it's up to you  
both to try to figure out a way to co-exist despite your differences.  
Hell, your differences can make you two even better.'

She was silent as she thought through what he had told her. He  
just watched her thoughts echo on her face and not for the first time,  
wondered how she managed to survive in the world. He knew that the  
Resistance social structure had to be different, but she still showed  
her hurt too easily. Either she was better at hiding her emotions when  
she wasn't with him, or her so-called friends ignored her pain.

And that was starting to piss him off.

'So do you and Kunzite talk out your differences?' she asked  
after a few minutes of comfortable silence. Serenity smiled at his  
look of both surprise and distaste. 'If I recall, you were very upset  
at how he's been treating Rose. Have you told him and tried to  
rationally talk to him about it? Or do you leave all the talking up to  
Kalkia?' She poked him playfully in the side again.

'That's different,' he grumbled and looked away.

'How?'

'Kunzite's an asshole with a pole up his ass the size of  
Alpha Ten.'

'And Minako isn't?' she countered.

'You're avoiding the real issue here.'

'And so are you.' She lightly touched his cheek and turned his  
face towards hers. Very slowly, almost nervously, she moved so she was  
in his lap and straddling his thighs. He desperately tried to ignore  
the physical feelings that went through him when she did things like  
this. She wrapped her arms loosely around his neck and didn't look  
away from him. 'You give very good advice, Endy, but you rarely take  
it.'

He put his hands on her hips, and her statements took his  
thoughts away from the desire humming through his veins. 'It's easier  
for an outsider to see the situation in a new light. You get too  
wrapped up in a situation and other things begin to cloud your vision.  
I suppose that's why.'

'So that's why it helps to have someone you can talk to, about  
everything and anything.' Serenity curled up in his lap, her back to  
his chest, and they looked off into the landscape.

Moments passed as they sat there, basking in the sun.

Finally, it was Serenity who said something, or at least did  
something about the need going through the both of them. She began to  
lightly run her fingers along the outside of his thigh from where she  
was sitting. Now that they weren't talking, Endymion could concentrate  
on the feel of her body against his and every little touch she made.  
With closed eyes, she leaned back against his chest and turned her  
head so her mouth was near his neck. The young blonde began to press  
light kisses along the skin there, delighting in the shivers that went  
through him.

'Eren," he started, his voice sounding hoarse.

'Hmm?'

'Maybe we shouldn't.' He felt her stiffen and then half turn  
to face him. The confusion on her face was adorable.

'Why not? We've made out before.' Her blue eyes suddenly  
widened as she realized that most of the time, she was the one that  
would slowly move towards the more physical aspect of their  
relationship. Of course, he was normally very quick to respond and  
take over, but she started it. 'You don't want to?' She looked like  
she might start to panic.

He closed his eyes and pressed light kisses on her captured  
palm. 'I want to, I REALLY want to. But I want you to understand that  
I love you. Not just lust after you, want you physically, but love  
your heart, your beautiful soul, everything about you. Even your  
faults. They make you wonderfully...you.' He opened his eyes and  
stared into Serenity's slightly lust-glazed blue eyes. 'You try so  
hard in everything you do, wanting to do the right thing, with a  
compassion for those you love that surpasses almost all logic in you.  
You strive so hard to understand the world around you, with no one  
helping you or guiding you.'

Serenity mewled a protest. 'Stop making me sound so wonderful.  
Without your help, I would have been lost. You are my anchor in a  
scary world of unsurety.' She ran a hand through his silky black  
locks. 'You go through life with so much confidence in your self, a  
knowledge that you will always try your best and that will have to be  
enough. You're so strangely vulnerable, especially when it comes to  
the people you love, a weakness no one could fault.'

She leaned close to kiss his mouth when they were interrupted.  
It shouldn't have been possible for anyone to interude, but they did.

'Now, I love mush as much as the next horny person, but I have  
to break this up.'

Serenity wrenched away at the sound of another voice in the  
dreamscape. Standing there was the auburn haired doctor and she looked  
rather amused. Endymion was glaring at her and actually looked upset.  
'I don't stop you from being with Jon!' The blonde giggled at how she  
could hear the pout in his voice.

'No one stops me from being with Jon,' Kalkia said with a  
grin. 'Kunzite's knocking on your door. He's about to break it down.  
Say your goodbyes and boink another day.'

'I hate you," Endymion grumbled. Kalkia just laughed and  
disappeared. 'This isn't fair.'

Serenity nodded. 'But it won't be long until Rei or Haruka  
wakes me anyway.' She kissed him once more, a deep and hungering kiss,  
and then stood. 'Next time, less talk and more kissing,' she teased  
with a grin.

* * *

Before Endymion could respond, a sharp, albeit discreet rap to  
his head brought him to wakefulness. 'Hurry up,' sent Rose. 'He's  
pissed and he's keeping me up with that racket.' Her grumpiness was  
customary in the morning.

'You wouldn't be so grumpy if you had some great wake up sex!'

Endymion and Rose both groaned mentally. One was with envy  
while the other was with irritation. One could easily figure out who  
was who.

"Enter," said Endymion, as he lept out of bed. His simple  
sleeping garments melted away to off-duty uniform. It was much easier  
getting dressed using his powers.

"Get dressed," Kunzite growled as he walked into the room.  
When he saw that Endymion was indeed dressed, Kunzite tossed him a  
scowl before continuing. "We're going to train."

Endymion raised an eyebrow. "We're? You mean, you and me?"

"Yes, you idiot," Kunzite said as he rolled his eyes.

"But I usually train with any of the medical staff." Confusion  
was clearly etched on Endymion's face.

The door opened to Endymion's quarters and a sleepy-eyed Rose  
entered, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. "What the hell is going on  
in here?" Sleep made her voice hoarse and irritation made it sharp.

Kunzite didn't answer right away, obviously waiting for  
something. A moment later, Kalkia burst into the room looking somewhat  
frazzled. Rose gave her an exasperated look, but the redhead just  
grinned. "Quickie," she winked. Endymion blushed and the silver  
general tried not to give into the urge to break furniture.

"Metallia has decided that Alpha Project has progressed to the  
point that Dr. Skye has become both superfulous and obsolete. It is  
also necessary to determine how you will function without your  
physical dependancy on her."

"He's not a baby," Rose said irritably. Kunzite looked at her  
briefly, but gave no other indication of acknowledgement.

"While Kalkia will still be based here in Alpha Prime, her  
duty station is going to be with Nephlite at the Alpha Ten Capitol,"  
he continued. Both Endymion and Rose expressed their shock over such  
an order. Granted, Alpha Ten wasn't that great of a distance away, but  
it had never occurred to the two that they would be broken up. Kalkia,  
on the other hand, didn't look surprised in the least.

"Is that Hong Kong or Beijing?" she asked idly. Kunzite raised  
an eyebrow. It was never a good idea to actually say the old names of  
the cities. Metallia didn't care for the rememberance and if she  
didn't like it, then it wasn't done.

"Beijing," Rose whispered. "But what about Endymion's  
training? Kalkia and Jonathon are the only ones qualified to keep up  
with that!"

"Jonathon isn't going with her, for one, and for two, I am  
perfectly capable of fighting and training Alpha Project."

"You?" Endymion said increduously. Kalkia snickered under her  
breath. "You?!"

Kunzite bristled. "You seem to forget the fact that I'm a  
general of the Inner Circle while Kalkia and Jon are not." Rose shot  
a look at both Endymion and Kalkia, to keep them from making a rude  
comment.

'No breaking of furniture this early in the morning. Anger  
him, wreck things, and I will start kicking asses,' sent Rose. 'No  
matter how much he deserves it.' Out loud, Rose asked, "So then, what  
are the plans for me? Where am I being tranferred to?"

Kunzite shot her a look. "You are being left here to assist  
Zoicite until Metallia issues further orders."

"What the fuck is going on?" Rose glared at Kunzite. "I want  
to leave too!"

Kunzite shot her a disapproving look. "Stop acting like a  
child, Rose. This is Alpha, not the school yard. Here we follow orders  
and your orders are to stay here and work with Zoicite. Metallia  
feels that it would be foolhardy to separate Endymion from both of  
you at the same time. You were lucky enough to get to work with your  
friend for this long, so stop complaining."

Before Rose could say anything else, Kalkia quickly cut in.  
"Besides, you are always saying that I drive you crazy anyway. I'll  
come back on weekends and when I'm not busy. And I always did want to  
work with the military."

"You knew this was going to happen," Rose accused. She didn't  
care that she was acting childish. Kalkia just nodded and reached for  
her friend's hand. Rose almost pulled away, but the redhead was too  
fast for her. 'Why didn't you tell me?' she asked silently.

'Because you would have tried to change my mind, either with  
or without my consent. It's time for me to let our little boy grow up  
on his own. I'm not going to be that far away,' she chided. 'And  
you'll still be around Endymion just as much. Rose...its my chance to  
try to heal Nephlite without any interferance from anyone else.'

'I thought you hated him.'

'Do you really hate Kunzite?'

Silence.

'...' Kalkia poked Rose in the side.

'Maybe,' Rose pouted. 'God, I hate being woken up so early.  
The banging and yelling...then again...' She gave Kalkia a weak  
smile. 'If you and Jon are separated, then no more being woken up by  
banging and yelling. So plus for me.' She gave her long time heart  
sister a big hug. 'I don't do goodbyes. I'll see you laters. Link to  
me when you're settled, ok?'

Without a glance at Kunzite, she left the room, after giving  
Endymion a small good-morning kiss on the cheek, wanting to just curl  
in a ball and ponder.

Kunzite looked after the raven haired doctor for several  
minutes before shaking his head. Without another word he left as  
well. Kalkia looked at Endymion and gave him a smile. However, she  
was not so lucky in her escape. "It's been almost a month. When are  
you going to tell us what Esmerade did to you?"

Kalkia breathed in deeply and then let it out slowly. "She  
didn't do anything to me, Endymion. I've told you that already. If  
I've changed, it's only been for the better. If you haven't noticed,  
I don't get as many death threats anymore. Now, next time you see  
Serenity you should--"

"Damnit, Kalkia!" He pounded his fist into the small coffee  
table and it shattered. She didn't even jump or look startled. "I'm  
tired of trying to guess! This is serious."

"It always is." Her blue-green eyes met his and there was no  
doubt that she was being serious. "I'll be fine and so will you. I  
made you to be perfect at and in everything. Don't ruin my illusions  
by fucking it up now." She walked over to him and then to his  
surprise, she gave him a soft kiss on the mouth.

He blinked at her for a moment before she started giggling.  
She turned to leave but paused at the door. "Oh and about Kunzite."  
She gave the dark haired man a very wicked smile. "Kick his ass."

Omega Cell Headquarters

Minako watched as Serenity ran through the warm-up exercises.  
Sweat dripped down the girl's pale-golden hair, as her lithe body  
moved through the targets with deadly ease and precision. Minako  
could sense that the girl was a lot calmer now; something that had  
been troubling her was settled down now.

"You know," breathed Serenity, "you could try asking me what  
has changed rather than trying to take a peek at my brain." She  
destroyed another target with a simple energy strike. She had already  
done physical combat, combat with guns, knives, swords, etc. Now was  
the time for energy-based attacks, those favored by the Inner Circle.

Raising a golden, wheat-colored brow, Minako looked at  
Serenity. "So you can sense me now, hm?"

Another target burst into flame. "The way you were  
broadcasting all over the place," puff, "it was easy." She finished  
the course and powered down. "Besides, I'm getting so much better at  
this mental stuff." As an afterthought, she added to herself, 'All  
thanks to Endymion...' Before gooey feelings and weak knees took  
over, she quickly returned her attention to her trainer. It would do  
her no good to get horny during practice.

"Very well, next time I'll make sure to take a less direct  
approach." Minako cleared the debris with a wave of her hand. "I've  
increased the difficulty of the next level by two hundred percent--"

"That was a hint to ask me, Minako."

The tall blonde blinked at the interruption but gave no other  
indication that she was surprised by Omega. There were a few moments  
of silence before Serenity gave a quiet sigh. "If I looked like a  
child, you would have at least tried to talk to me about this by now.  
Instead we go through endless simulations and battle tests when you  
have no idea if I'm ever going to find that last artifact and make an  
attempt at your Omega."

Minako clenched her jaw. "I was hoping that it really just  
was a matter of time before you figured out that I was right and you  
were wrong."

"Is that how you teach children?"

"You're not a child, Serenity. You may not be very old, but  
you are not a child. No, I watched you do exactly what I would expect  
of a daughter if I had one. You've spent the last month talking to  
everyone. You've even made copies of their morality in that time as  
well. I may not like you very much, but I have been watching you."  
She paused and then met the younger woman's eyes. "I know about  
Project Alpha."

It was Serenity's turn to blink and unlike Minako, she  
sputtered and her jaw dropped. "I assume since we have not been  
invaded or attacked by Alpha, that you haven't given your lover our  
location. I am also assuming that you, at least in part, tried to  
figure out the whereabouts of the last artifact."

Serenity looked away but nodded. This wasn't exactly how she  
envisioned repairing her relationship with Minako. "He doesn't know  
where it is," she said quietly. Omega wondered if Minako could  
understand the betrayal that was eating inside her to admit that she  
had also been trying to do just that. Taking a deep breath, she said  
the hardest sentence to ever pass her lips.

"But I do."

Serenity looked at Minako and watched her intently in the  
silence that followed. Finally, the Cell Captain had to also force  
her next words from her throat. "Are you willing to continue with the  
mission?"

"Yes." There was no hesitation from her, but she had to  
painfully swallow the lump that had formed in her throat.

Minako nodded and sheathed her weapon. "Develop a plan and be  
ready to present it at our next briefing."

Minako left the room. Looking at her hands, Serenity could  
practically feel the blood that would be shed on her hands. Guilt was  
eating at her. But, the one thing that Minako had not figured out  
about Omega was that it could be truly used as a force of good. There  
was a way for Serenity to rectify some of the horrendous mistakes of  
the past and put the system back into balance.

She stiffened her posture before leaving the training room to  
prepare. The end result would justify her in the end. She had to hold  
onto that hope.

Alpha Headquarters, Alpha One Enclave

In the long unused arborteum, Rose sat underneath the lush  
beauty of the willow tree. The droopy hanging branches created a nice  
sanctum for her. She watched the creek that flowed nearby and fought  
the deep depression welling up in her.

"You want to be alone," Endymion asked, even as he sat down  
next to her.

"What are you doing here?" She didn't turn to look at him.

"Waiting for Kunzite. Kal has teleported over to Alpha Ten  
and all her belongings have been moved to her new quarters there." He  
tossed a small stone into the creek, the loud plop sound that  
resulted echoing in both their ears. "Of course, she kind of drained  
the teleportation system with just her wardrobe."

A small chuckle was his reward. "You've never had to wade  
through all those when she's been searching for the 'perfect outfit'  
to wear on a date."

"I remember having to get her approval for my tuxedo during  
the Crimson Flame incident,' he pointed out. 'I was sent back to my  
room six times because I didn't have the right colored vest." He  
looked down at her and then gave her a slight smile. "I'm going to  
miss her too."

"Its pointless!" Rose suddenly burst out. She scrambled to  
her feet and began to pace in front of him. "Why does she have to  
leave now? What is there in Beijing that isn't here? There are  
millions of other people that could work with Nephlite! Why her?"

Endymion looked at her steadily and tried to give the sense  
of a calm he didn't feel. "Maybe she wanted to go. Maybe being around  
Esmerade was too much."

Rose snorted and shook her head. She was sorely tempted to  
kick one of the trees in a childish display of anger. "Kalkia would  
kill her before allowing her fear to force her to leave me."

Endymion blinked and suddenly it became a lot clearer to him.  
The two doctors were closer than sisters, hell, they had a bond  
tighter than most twins and even soulmates. Now, they were being  
forced apart and Rose cared too much while Kalkia didn't seem to care  
at all.

"She didn't leave," he said out loud.

"She's on another continent!" The violet eyed woman glared  
down at her creation.

"And I'm sure if you mentally kicked her, she'd respond, and  
it wouldn't seem like that. What are you afraid of?"

"Nothing!"

Endymion rolled his eyes and stood so he was looking down at  
her sternly. It was easier to feel like the adult when she wasn't  
towering over him. "You know you can't lie to me. What are you afraid  
of?" he asked again.

Rose looked down at the glassy pool. "Kalkia and I haven't  
ever been apart since we were kids. We were both put in the same  
class as the generals, who were older than we were. Special training  
or something like that. She was the one who forced me to be her  
friend. She was the one who helped me to forget that my family was  
dead and never coming back. She became my family. We've always lived  
next door to each other. Its not just another continent, Endy, it's  
another world. And she wanted to go."

Endymion reached out and wiped away the silent tears that  
were streaming down her face. "Kalkia loves you," he responded to the  
unsaid pain and worry. "I've seen her drop glorious sex with Jon for  
you," he tried to joke. He felt a lot better when that got a smile  
out of her. "I don't think she left just so she could get away from  
you. She'll be back and you'll see her again."

Rose was silent for several minutes before she sniffed back  
her tears and laughed at herself quietly. "When did you get to be so  
wise?"

Endymion blushed. "I've been practicing the pep talk on  
Serenity."

"I know." She looked away, sorrow still evident on her face.

He raised an eyebrow. "You're the only other person who knows  
and the only one who isn't giving me hell about it. I appreciate that  
more than you know."

A nod was his only answer. "Are you still sulking," he asked,  
feeling something was off in her body language, but for once, getting  
absolutely nothing from their link. This was something new.

She burrowed herself into his arms and he automatically held  
her. "I never want to see you hurt," she replied while squeezing the  
air out of him. She had been getting stronger so he had to compensate  
a little more than before.

"I won't ever be hurt," he said soothingly but clouded by  
confusion. "I have you and Kalkia by my side."

Hot tears seeped into his clothing. She was crying, but  
silently, and still he had no inkling of what she was feeling. 'Why  
are you shielding from me?'

'We've never hidden anything from each other before.'

'This is end game, Endymion. Forgive me.' With a blinding  
rush of power, she worked as quickly as possible. His trust made it  
easy for her to make him forget his suspicions and still stay  
undetected by those that mattered. With her powers, she made it so  
they were just sitting here, him comforting her since Kalkia was  
leaving, and erased any sense in him that she was hiding something  
from him.


End file.
